The Rumor
by Thorn on a Rose
Summary: There is nothing more damning than hoping a rumor holds some sort of truth, especially when unrequited feelings of love are involved. But with the Teen Titan's gathering for a week's vacation anything can happen. Femslash Raven/Koriand'r
1. A Lie

Hey everyone! Long time no story...*sweatdrops*

I offer to all of you some Teen Titan goodness wrapped in a pretty red ribbon...and just a bit of angst but if you hang in there I'll have a few more chapters out that won't be so short.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans...no matter how much I wish I did!

ON WITH THE STORY

-  
**A Lie  
-**

When Raven first heard that Richard and Koriand'r had split up and were now back on the dating scene, she didn't believe it for a moment. Not only had Kori _not_ informed her of this significant change in her life during their weekly 'girl-time', but anything the lean, green, string-bean Garfield said had to be taken with a grain of salt.

"I swear! I was buzzing around, _ahem_, y'know, stretching my wings for a bit, when I overheard Robin tell Star he thinks they need some time apart and wants to break-up!"

Waving his arms excitedly while hopping around the living room in front of Raven as she sat on the couch trying to read, Beast Boy continued babbling and Raven did her best to ignore him after concluding that the teenage boy must have heard wrong. Her plan succeeded for the most part and Raven settled back into her calm sphere of relaxation, paying no attention to the bombardment of energy from her unwanted company.

"Hey! Maybe now I'll get a chance to take Star out on a date!"

_SLAM_

The loud thump of her book closing startled Beast Boy enough he jumped and looked towards Raven, wondering what in the world he said to tick her off this time!

Her calm completely shattered after that last excited exclamation, the empath threw a death glare at Garfield that raised the hair on his hackles and almost had him running out of the room in an instinctual bid to survive her wrath. Coldly, Raven rose from her cross-legged seated position and slipped the book under her left arm as she released some of her unexplainable and sudden irritation upon the clueless young man in front of her.

"First of all, you were not 'stretching your wings', you were snooping around for gossip by eavesdropping on private conversations. Second, I doubt you heard enough of the entire dialog between Richard and Koriand'r to draw such a farfetched conclusion. Third..."

Here, unbeknownst to Raven, but all too apparent to Garfield, the half-demon's voice got slightly deeper and, well, demonic as she growled out her last point.

"Third, even if you heard correctly, you will _not_, under pain of dismemberment, attack Koriand'r with your hormone-driven attempts to woo her until _she_ decides she is ready to date again."

Quaking in his shell since the last half of that command when he got scared enough to turn into a tortoise, Garfield nonetheless felt at least brave enough to put up a token of resistance.

"But, but what if the other guys try to ask her before I get a shot?"

Raven's snarl revealed very sharp teeth and her usual deep blue eyes began to show signs of red not at all attributed to a lack of sleep. Garfield's head retreated quickly and he stayed in his shell even as a pale hand picked him up gently and brought him eye level with her.

"Rest assured Garfield, they will not."

Releasing him to bounce upon the cushions of the couch she had previously sat on as she strode out of the living room and towards her private quarters, Raven struggled to control the riot of emotions that had surfaced too quickly within her to suppress. As she entered her room, Raven took a quick glance down the hall that led to Starfire's chambers, baffled by the little coil of excitement that wound its way around her heart and pressed painfully against her chest. When her automatic door finally slid shut, the only remainder of her presence in the hallway was a rapidly fading prayer.

"Oh Azar, I hope for both her sake and mine Garfield's rumor is only that – a lie."

**Started another little Teen Titans series, except this one is full of roughly connected one-shots!**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

**READ and REVIEW**

**ToaR**


	2. A Little Known Truth

Just so everyone knows, the chapters will be loosely in order - meaning many things might happen to these characters in the same day - I just wanted to clarify.  
Happy Reading!

**Disclaimer:** I wished I owned Teen Titans...but it's never going to happen.

**-  
A Little Known Truth  
-**

There were no dreams of flying over the beautiful jungles of Tamaran within the warm energy of the star Vega. Nor were her dreams of the gorgeous sunsets on Earth she always made time to witness every evening. Her dreams this night were not dreams at all but nightmares tormenting her psyche. _'Friends'_ he said._'Let's just be friends for now.'_ X'hal! That hurt! And it will continue to hurt, she knew, because she had been foolish enough to agree to his terms instead of properly severing her attachment to him as she should have. Tamaraneans cannot survive such a weakening of emotion and Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran knew better than to cling to the selfish offer of _'just friends'_ after giving so fully of herself to what she had once believed to be love. Throwing off her sheets with a loud growl, Koriand'r shifted to the edge of her bed and pushed up so she could pace around instead of waste energy trying to sleep when she knew it would not come.

At first the female had been completely shocked and taken aback when Richard had announced his discontent in their relationship. Koriand'r quickly became angrily confused as he continued, citing all of his logical reasons they should 'break-up' and maybe see other people. Now, Koriand'r had been a resident of Earth for about ten years already and she understood the words Richard was saying; but at the same time there was no equivalent within her own language and culture.

The people of Tamaran are so in-tune with their feelings that no couple has ever 'broken-up' and gone back to being _'just friends'_. Their love either increased, plateaued, or about-faced to an equally intense hatred. Never did love wan or die out like a candle with no wick left to burn.

Had this abnormal turn in their relationship been her fault?

Richard said no, that this kind of thing happens all the time. As much as that thought horrified Koriand'r, she could not stop the doubt that what happened to them _was_ her fault. She should have realized that Earthlings had different standards and ways of handling emotions before she got involved with one.

Smirking out the window in a mirthless parody of a smile, Koriand'r knew that was a foolish wish. Logic does not dictate a Tamaranean's heart. Besides, she had liked the young masked hero who seemed to like her very much in return when she and Robin had first met all those years ago.

Suddenly the anger that had gotten overshadowed by her disbelief and grief came forward and with a blood-curling war cry forced out between her lips, Koriand'r launched her fists into the steel beam supporting the west wall of her room over and over again while letting out a continuous litany of curse words in her native language. The tempered steel beneath her knuckles rang out with each blow and buckled until it finally broke with a mighty burst of plasma green light, rocketing the piece of metal a few hundred meters out to the ocean surrounding her home.

"How _dare_ he suggest we '_see other people_'!"

Her energy drained for the moment, Kori slid down onto her haunches gazing out the hole she made without seeing.

"Was I not good enough..."

The anguish in her whisper was unexpectedly answered by a rough voice from near her door that hissed out a denial to that statement.

"No. That thought should _never_ enter your mind Koriand'r. You are everything that any being would be blessed to have as a partner, and the indecision of one human who does not know _what_ he wants in life should not be cause for such pain."

Raven rested a light hand upon the exposed shoulder of her friend, keeping her eyes on the night horizon with Koriand'r.

"But it _does_ hurt Raven, as it should. I just...I do not understand, I suppose, how Earthlings could live with something as horrible as this feeling of being found lacking when they should celebrate in the feelings of love they profess to have for one another. Not dwell on worth or time spent as a measurement of affection."

Closing her eyes to reorient herself after brushing against Koriand'r's emotional pain again, Raven gently squeezed the golden orange shoulder, refusing to abandon her friend for her own comfort.

"To tell you the truth Koriand'r, I do not understand it either. I, too, was not raised in this culture and find myself more than a little...disgusted that so many throw love around so casually when I...I am not allowed to be anything but strict with _all_ emotions."

Gently kneeling beside the redhead, Raven trailed her fingers down the bare arm she stayed in contact with and ended up lacing her pale appendages with the golden ones that still would not move.

"Even..."

Koriand'r watched out of the corner of her eye as Raven seemed to struggle with her words and felt a need to give this wonderful friend of hers encouragement, so she curled her long fingers and held onto the smaller hand placed within her grasp. Kori's move did its job and Raven took a deep breath before she took the plunge and imparted insight into Raven's other nature.

"Even demons do not face a fading of emotional intensity as Earthlings seem to do. Admittedly, not much truly interests a demon. But once a strong emotion is associated with an object or person by the demon, it never vanishes. In fact, there are some cases where the emotion can get so powerful it consumes the demon who harbors it."

The moment Raven mentioned her demonic half she had Koriand'r's undivided attention. The alien female knew too little about her fellow heroine and was always searching for ways to grow closer to the reclusive woman. By revealing her own difficulty in understanding the fickle nature of human love, Raven accomplished what she set out to do the second she was jarred awake by Kori's searingly hot anger – give the princess a companion who understood and accepted her confusion, sadness, and frustration with the foreign situation she found herself in.

"So demons, too, are ruled by their emotions?"

Shrugging, Raven sought to clarify Kori's understanding.

"Yes and no. Until that one thing/desire/person triggers the consuming emotion within the demon, they are actually very logical creatures who can be very cunning and manipulative."

"Hmm...Could you give me an example Raven?"

Finally turning in her seat to face her companion, but not letting go of her hand, Raven met inquisitive lime peel green eyes and nodded.

"Since we were discussing love earlier, I will use that and myself as part of the example."

A giggle escaped Koriand'r unexpectedly and Raven caught the sheepish look with a stare.

"Hey, it could happen...in another lifetime."

Raven was content as Koriand'r began to laugh at her bad joke. The princess was beginning to smile again so life was returning to what passed as normal around here.

"Say I fell in love, despite my best efforts to resist. Now, say this emotion triggers my demonic interest. You would all notice very quickly my odd behavior which might include such traits as possessiveness, jealousy, inexplicable happiness in the presence of the one to be the focus of my love, and a myriad of other intense emotional reactions to certain situations involving this person."

Koriand'r's smile grew throughout all of this but it faded when Raven informed her that there was a best and worst case scenario attached to letting her demonic side become interested in something/someone.

"In the best case, the person returns my 'affections'. My emotion would settle somewhat but would remain extremely intense, overcoming much of my better judgment and may even lead to destroying anything I perceive as a threat to our relationship. The person on the receiving end of my 'love' would be burdened with the task of allaying any insecurities and fears I would feel about the relationship and would have to shower me with a continuous stream of love/lust/desire combo through our bond in order to 'tame' my less than civil half."

Koriand'r lifted an eyebrow at this definition of a 'best case scenario'. This is exactly how all Tamaraneans viewed love; a continual bond with constant reassurance of affection from both sides to balance out the intensity of emotion. She had to admit that she felt a warm glow infuse her blood as Raven described the depth of dependence and love she had been craving for as long as she could remember.

"In the worst case scenario, the person rejects me. Demons do not handle rejection well. I would more than likely lose my human self completely to the demonic beast and set about obliterating everything, except my 'love'."

Ducking her head in shame and disgust, Raven found that she did not want the gentle warrior princess to know about what she was capable of should the demon ever be loosed upon the world. But, Koriand'r needed to know because that knowledge might save her some day.

"That person would be spared...somewhat. Even though I had been refused, I would not be able to stay away from that person. I would more than likely forcefully keep them with me, alternating between punishing them...and loving them; never letting go no matter what."

Feeling ashamed of revealing such monstrous tendencies and afraid that Koriand'r would not like her anymore, Raven tried to slip her hand from the alien's and retreat back. But Koriand'r was having none of that. Holding tightly to those cold fingers, Kori leaned down slightly and rested her cheek against the pitch black hair on Raven's head.

"Well, other than the destroying or forcing part, that is very similar to the Tamaranean experience of love. I remember when I told you about my people and culture after we defeated the Puppet King. You spoke about Azarath and what they were like as well. Now I've learned something more and I cannot express how honored I am that you would reveal such obviously uncomfortable information to me Raven. Especially after I accidentally hurt you at our meeting today."

Sensing the fleeting whispers of shame from the taller girl, Raven sent out a wave of calm to sooth away the burn.

"There is nothing to thank me for Koriand'r. Isn't this how friends are supposed to behave? And what happened at the meeting was my fault. I pried where I should not have and I apologize for my intrusion."

Raven was suddenly bowled over by a sudden flood of overwhelming fondness and only two warm arms snugly wrapped around her shoulders and waist kept her from literally falling down to the floor.

"Then I accept your apology if you accept mine for unintentionally causing you pain."

What more could Raven do than nod and shyly return the embrace. The two friends stayed together for the rest of the night, simply talking or silently watching the stars move around the earth until the pearly gray of dawn began lightening the sky in preparation for another day.

Infused with the empowering energy of the rising sun, Koriand'r got to her feet to stretch from her seated position dozing against Raven's shoulder. The redhead knew that it was her friend who kept the nightmares and dreams away, just allowing her to sleep a little and recover her strength. Coming out of her stretch, Koriand'r noticed Raven's eyes flitting around the room, as if nervous, before settling on her own hands which rested in her lap. For some reason the empath's cheeks were a little pinker than usual as well. Feeling slightly bemused but deciding not to worry about Raven's behavior, Kori extended a hand to pull the still seated woman up.

"We had better get ready for today. That meeting about our annual magazine interview is scheduled for later this morning remember."

Scowling, Raven rolled her eyes as she let go of Kori's hand after thanking her for the help up.

"As if I could forget, or better yet, not attend."

The resident sorceress really disliked the yearly ritual all the active Teen Titans had to go through and had no qualms about voicing her opinion of it. Koriand'r just giggled as she escorted her guest to the door. Pausing for a moment to make sure the coast was clear via her empathic sense, Raven then turned back to face Koriand'r and softly asked if she was feeling less upset now. A quick hug was her answer along with a heartfelt thanks.

"Good. Then I will see you later this morning. Oh, and if you...want to talk again..."

Smiling, Kori just nodded her head in understanding. Then a mischievous gleam entered her eyes and her grin became a bit wicked.

"I do have one quick question Raven."

Leaning back into the princess's room with half of her body already out the door, Raven just waited with her hand braced on the door frame, holding the sliding door open.

"Since demons are similar to my people in love, do demons boast to have as much stamina in bed as Tamaraneans do?"

Raven's hand slipped and she almost bashed her head into the door frame before she caught herself. The empath's retort was long in coming due to the massive amounts of blushing and shock coursing through her system since she had had absolutely no warning about the nature of Koriand'r's question. The wide-eyed green eyes and dazzling, if saucy, smile didn't help things either, causing a rampage of butterflies to take wing low in Raven's abdomen. However, Raven eventually regrouped and sent Koriand'r a deadpan stare before answering and disappearing back to her own room.

"If not more, Koriand'r."

Raven's response was unexpected but in line with the playful spirit of Koriand'r's question, and it tickled her funny bone for the rest of the day, keeping her in a good mood and Raven a little pinker in the cheeks than usual.

**-  
The second in this little series! Woot!**

**I hope you enjoyed!**

**Read and Review please.**

**ToaR**


	3. An Unwanted Interview

...is this the third chapter already? **grin**

I hope you all are enjoying this story – i.e. Tell me in a review ;p

By the way, a small shameless insertion occurs – you are warned!

**Disclaimer: **Maybe next time I can say I own this series...pfft! Yeah right!

ON WITH THE STORY!

**-  
An Unwanted Interview  
-**

I never understood Robin's acceptance of an interview with a predetermined, credible, and relatively harmless magazine once a year. Each year he comes in and tells us to clear our calender for a certain day in whatever month he deems the least hectic this time around so all of us current, active members of the Teen Titans would be available for 'interrogation'.

Our fearless leader always frowns at me whenever I use that word for this inane exercise which was done only to get the public to recognize us as 'regular' folk who do something extraordinary for the good of the world. Every time we have this pre-interrogation meeting Richard recites his speech about how the citizens we save all the time support us and will continue to do so if they get to know us a bit better; even if they will only ever know the superficial things.

I cannot help but be darkly amused by Robin's words.

The only reason the public puts up with us is because no amount of military or scientific might would be able to stand up to the sheer variety of meta-humans, aliens, and other supernatural beings that would rather smear humans against the pavement as opposed to looking at them. Regular humans with no connection to our world need us and they know it. The very moment those we protect turn their backs on us and try to destroy us, they will find themselves eradicated and it will be due to their own ignorant arrogance.

Robin knows how I feel about this pretense but we have had this discussion many times and it is only because he is the leader of our team that I agree to be part of the **group** interview. I flat out refuse to participate otherwise after that fiasco with individual interviews. Robin understood that and never attempted that particular venture again.

So here we all are, sitting in a semicircle on the enormous crescent couch like a jury panel before the prosecutor who shot off rapid fire questions, one after another once the initial introductions were politely slogged through. The magazine (I had never learned which one, nor do I care to) had sent a young woman who did not look much older than us to record the Q and A marathon session Richard kept insisting was good for team image and morale.

I'm half tempted to mention the sudden, but intense, homicidal urges that pop up during these things when the girl gets to me. That ought to shut Richard up about 'team morale'.

I just thank the gods that Garfield is sitting next to Victor on the other side of the couch from me. He is positively ecstatic at the attention he is garnering and is behaving even more like a clown than usual. It might have something to do with the girl being a captive audience of sorts. Every time he changes shape, the young blonde cannot help but falter in her questioning and watch his performance.

If he doesn't quit soon, he will find himself restrained by the cushions he is bouncing off of...maybe _smothered_ would be a better word to use.

Richard is doing his best to keep Garfield under control while still maintaining his 'leader' guise. His answers are short and to the point; a direct opposite from our green member's long, drawn-out responses.

Donna struck a happy medium between the two; sticking to short and sweet when necessary but willing to elaborate once in a while. Victor is his usual robust self and answers with confidence, treading that middle ground with Donna. Wally had longer answers but was rapid in his delivery causing our visitor to ask him to slow down at points so that she could record his answers to the questions. He did.

Out of all of them, Jericho is the calmest. His hands and fingers moved a bit slower than I am used to reading but the towheaded young man had compensated for the reporter; she knows sign language but wants to make sure she really understood his responses and had asked him to be patient with her.

For that consideration alone, despite my serious dislike of being interrogated, I would give this girl a bit more than monosyllables and will not pass on as many questions.

Now it was Koriand'r's turn. Sitting next to me, she is being her usual blunt but kind self. She has never felt the need to hide who she is so her answers are always the most honest out of all of ours. It is funny when I think about it, but no matter how many times I've heard her answer the same basic questions over and over with the same answers, her words are always fascinating to me. I tend to tune the others out as the interview progresses to center myself in preparation for those ridiculous probing questions that are sure to be thrown my way as soon as the reporter gets to me. But I can never tune out her.

Ah. Koriand'r just finished answering what her favorite pasttime is: sunbathing naked, preferably on a beach.

I could have told the young woman that since the alien girl was always inviting me along. Sadly, my answer is usually 'no'...I have to preserve my sanity. Donna goes with her most of the time and Garfield continually asks to accompany them but is shot down every time. He tries to sneak in anyway but I ensure he cannot.

The blonde reporter stares for a moment at my teammate, eyes glazed as much as Garfield's are at this moment, before she minutely shakes her head and scribbles down Koriand'r's answer.

Taking a deep steadying breath and pasting on a shaky smile, the human girl turns to me and I can feel everyone's attention shift my way.

"And now, a few questions for you, Raven."

I sighed softly but waited for the slew of intrusive, childish and tasteless queries the public asks me every year. Despite my non-responsiveness, she forged ahead and began.

"Ok, first one comes from the online survey of questions our readers would like to know the answers to: 'where are you from'?"

I took a moment, pondering as to if I should bother to answer that actually complicated question, but Robin's hard gaze and a flash of Joseph's smile reminded me that I promised the team, as well as myself, that I would be somewhat cooperative. My voice was a bit muffled by the fabric of my hood but it was heard clearly.

"I'm from a dimensional world named Azarath."

Richard had tried to persuade me to at least leave the hood of my cloak down but I had countered with his mask and basically mentioned something about him leading by example. That shut him up pretty quickly and I was not very popular with Robin after that one for awhile. I was alright with that.

Bringing my wandering thoughts back to the present just in time to catch the next question, I was taken aback.

"Do you have a boyfriend..."

The girl flushed and looked as if she had been handed a detonator and told to press the button as soon as she came to that question.

About to answer with a _very_ firm 'no', I was brought up short by the question's continuation.

"...or a g-girlfriend?"

No one made a sound.

It was like they all froze in the aftermath of those ground-zero words, struck by a possibility none of them had ever thought of before. I was just completely stunned by the guts of whoever approved that question in the initial selection phase of the interview preparation in the magazine boardroom. If I find out who...

Still, it was a harmless question because I had neither gender as a significant other...the only one who I even came close to feeling such emotions for had already been in a committed relationship when I first found they held a special place in my affections. It was only recently that this person had returned to the dating scene and I wasn't sure they were ready to enter into another relationship so soon. ...I know I wasn't exactly ready either.

My voice never wavered as I answered, "No."

That probably should have relaxed the reporter but it seemed as if the following question was no better than that last one. In fact, she seemed as if she was about to faint. Catching hold of herself, the blond quickly scanned the rest of the page of questions printed out for each Titan that was geared specifically for me before she sighed and sat up straighter.

"I'm sorry to have to ask but it _is_ part of my job and you already know that you don't have to answer if you don't wish to, so..."

My eyebrows shot up as I picked up her surface emotions, guessing as to the next question considering the previous one.

"If you had an equally appealing choice, which gender would you rather date?"

Ouch!

I was right, and this is making me wince.

If I don't answer, people will assume a lot of unflattering things about me...or at least more so than usual. On the other hand, if I answer either way I will be setting myself up for a lot of grief anyway.

I was not happy being put in this position.

My teammates are still holding their breath with wide eyes and some were actually anticipating real gossip-worthy information to spread throughout the cape community. Garfield, especially, seems to be trying to read my mind for the answer to that question with the way he was staring at me.

Scratch that previous observation, I am _pissed_ at being put on the spot like this, and I react accordingly.

The air around me shivers from the ice infused with my words, reminding everyone I am not willing to play such games.

"You are right, I do not have to answer, but I would _appreciate_ a cessation of such questions during these interviews. If need be I will file a _personal_ complaint to the head of your magazine."

"R-right! O-ok, next one then."

Relief in her psyche warred with intent to injure someone, a tall male figure...most likely her boss. I do hope she goes through with chewing him out, because if she doesn't I most certainly will if these types of questions show up again in my page of queries.

Time passes and the interview winds down until there is only one question left for me to answer.

"We actually got this question via the postal service from a young lady with the pen-name Thorn."

Miss Reporter shuffles through her briefcase and pulls out an opened envelope with the letter folded inside. I noticed that this journalist keeps her nails short but well maintained as I reached for the letter held in her outstretched hand.

'_Not a bad shade of blue polish either.'_

Refocusing, I unfolded the letter and began to silently read it.

The other occupants of the room are positively squirming in their seats; one awaiting my response, the rest wanting to know what the letter said. Their emotions and surface thoughts kept distracting me slightly, but I'm used to it by now and forge ahead through the fairly neat handwriting.

Little caricatures and doodles lined the margins with ravens, roses, stars, hero symbols, and a cute replica of Titans Tower on its island. The letter ended with Thorn's signature and a 'thank you'. A postscript note at the very bottom stated that no matter what I answered, she (Thorn) would be rooting for me.

It was hard for anyone to tell but I smiled a bit. This young high school girl is a good writer and a clever observer. She noticed who it is that I feel most...fond of just by watching us on T.V. or in newspaper photos. She was asking me to confirm her suspicions by telling the world my favorite color. She believes this will be the eye color of the one I 'like' above all others. Wally is now vibrating in his seat and Garfield was hanging from the back of my section of the sofa as a little Rhesus monkey, trying to read over my shoulder. Victor, Donna, and Koriand'r were visibly restraining themselves from leaning over and crowding or asking about the letter's content. Richard was covering any physical curiosity well but his thoughts swirled with deduced possibilities as to what could possibly have been written. Surprisingly, though, our leader was the one to actually speak up.

"So, what does the letter say Raven?"

I was trying to find the easiest way to put the question while keeping its true nature hidden as the writer intended, when our interviewer answered first. I was a little peeved that she intercepted the question aimed at me, but she did explain it better than I probably could have.

"This was written by a young student who just wants to know Raven's favorite color...though, I think it's also a piece of fanmail because most of it is addressed directly to Raven."

Done with her explanation to my teammates, she turned back to me and smiled.

"Since it _is_ mostly addressed to you, the higher ups decided that you can keep it if you want to."

Nodding, I refolded the paper and gently slid it back into its envelope, then focused on the last question. Again I had two choices before me, but this time I knew which one I was going to take.

"Green...lime peel green is my favorite color."

The interview was over as far as I was concerned so I got up and went to leave the living room letter in hand, letting Robin and the others handle the goodbyes and closing statements.

A warm hand caught my fingers and I turned back to look into Koriand'r's eyes. The beautiful female smiled and reminded me that the big _T-Connection,_ where all the Titans gather for a week of vacation, starts tomorrow.

_Sigh_. I thank her and assure her that I will be prepared. Stepping away from her and towards the hallway door leading to my room, I shiver as our fingers trail along the skin of each other. She is so warm...

Meditation is going to be the only way to erase the presence of those lime peel green eyes from my mind enough that I can sleep tonight. I better get started.

**-  
Yes! Another one churned out!**

**Hope you are all enjoying this series!**

**Read and Review**

**ToaR**


	4. A Need for Solitude

Here's the next chapter for you Spikes! Thanks for all the reviews ;)  
**  
Disclaimer: **I sent in my wish for Christmas last year but Santa never got back to me on this one.

ON WITH THE STORY

**-  
A Need for Solitude  
-**

It was a rare moment when a Tamaranean sought a quiet place to think over past events and contemplate the future, but Koriand'r found herself in desperate need of solitude to reflect on the current changes that have altered the course of her life. Frustratingly enough, this urge to be alone came upon her during the yearly Teen Titan's _T-Connection_ where all active and inactive members of this group of heroes come together for some fun, relaxation, and good conversation.

Normally Koriand'r would be in the thick of things – greeting everyone with a brilliant smile and a backbreaking hug before joining in on all of the games, and later engaging in 'girl talk' around the kitchen area while the boys commandeered the living room for video games and T.V. But this time around the princess just could not get into the groove of things.

After all, it had only been a few days since her long time lover, Richard Grayson (aka Robin) had taken her aside and ended their relationship.

A brief flare of anger always burned in her gut whenever she recalled his parting words..."_just friends_". That spoke more clearly to Koriand'r than anything else about the differences between those from Tamaran and the residents of Earth. But for the sake of her family here on this planet, Kori swallowed her pride and agreed to Robin's terms.

And if she was being completely honest with herself, she knew in her heart that this was right.

If one side of the relationship was unsatisfied then there was little to be done after that could justify staying together...it's just, she had never experienced this before and knew of no one among her people who ever had either. Her conversation with Raven the previous night served to augment her belief that the event of "breaking up" was an Earthling phenomena since Raven found it equally as perplexing.

Love was the most powerful bond between two people; it's opposite, hate, is merely the flip side of the coin and just as strong. So then, why did love seem to fizzle out for Earthlings while remaining so central to their ideals? It was beyond frustrating but, again, knowing Raven felt the same way calmed the Tamaranean down and refocused her thoughts on more pleasant things.

Raven had invited Koriand'r to speak with her whenever she felt depressed or overwhelmed the other night and had even joked with Kori after revealing a side of herself that the princess doubted anyone else had ever been privy to. The empath's presence and calm demeanor had done wonders on Koriand'r's frayed temper and hurting heart, giving her a measure of peace and good humor for the rest of the day. That certainly made the magazine interview go faster and less painful to sit near Robin so soon after their 'break-up'.

Besides, now the Titans had something other than her terminated relationship gossip-worthy to discuss.

Apparently, Raven's refusal to answer whether she would prefer male or female companionship opened whole new betting pools that were not all that hidden from the target of their gambling.

Smiling, Koriand'r recalled Raven's subtle expression of incredulity when she overheard Argent and Bumblebee banter about the latest addition to the pot: a guy or girl for Raven?

-_  
The princess had never seen ears blush so violently before but that was exactly what tipped Kori off that Raven was either pissed or extremely embarrassed about the situation she was inadvertently sucked into by not answering that one question during the interview. The empath had never looked so cute, Kori remembered, as she had pulled up her hood and proceeded to sulk away from the kitchen, but not before sending an unnoticed glare towards the still gossiping heroines. _

_Koriand'r decided that is was best to let her friend alone for a while after that and proceeded on to the kitchen where she had originally intended to calm the growl of her stomach with a light snack of cold, leftover pizza. Evidently Raven had changed her mind about eating, but Kori left a slice of cheese pizza so the empath could have some later should she decide she was more hungry than mad._

_As she ate her small repast, Kori, to keep her mind off of her own troubles, ruminated on Raven's non-answer to the preference question. She knew that there were quite a few heroes who played either side of the fence – Wonder Woman being a prime example considering where she grew up – and Kori, herself, found the female form just as beautiful as the male one. _

_Popping in the last piece of crust, Koriand'r considered the possibility that maybe the reason Richard wanted to part way was because he preferred men and was just using her as a cover or did not realize his source of discontent until now..._

_If this was the case, then Koriand'r could understand better the situation and she truly could be 'just friends' with Robin. There were cases on Tamaran where a couple split ways because one came to the realization that, while they loved their mate, there was something missing and it usually ended up being a desire for a companion of the same sex. Tamaran was a planet accepting of love in many forms and while homosexuality was not prevalent it certainly was not frowned upon at all like it is on Earth. In fact, this love was celebrated just as heartily as love for the opposite gender. _

_Going over to wash her hands, Koriand'r decided that whichever gender Raven chose (if she ever does), the princess would be a very supportive and accepting friend. There has been so many times that Raven was there for her, almost too many to repay, but Koriand'r found a determination to always be there for the lonely empath no matter what happens in the future._ _Currently, however, there was no new information from Raven or otherwise about the answer to this puzzle and Koriand'r was not in the mood to pry.  
_-

Sighing lightly, Koriand'r continued to watch the sun sink below the western horizon from her vantage point floating high above the rocky cliffs of Jump City that rise up defiantly out of the ocean. She would have to get back soon. Supper tonight was going to be a feast that everyone needed to prepare at least one dish for, and Koriand'r knew there was a lot of prep work that needed to be done before the cooking even starts. She still hasn't even chosen a dish for herself to make yet.

Taking her time floating back to the Tower from her spot, Koriand'r mentally flipped through various meals she knew how to create: both of Tamaranean and Earth origin. A very small wicked smile curved her lips as she decided to make something from her home world. It meant that there would be more for her since only one of the Titans dared to try any of the odd looking (by human standards) meals she sometimes made when she was feeling particularly homesick. Raven at least took a bite of any dish put in front of her, whereas the others would try anything to get out of sampling her people's cuisine.

Ninety-nine percent of the time Koriand'r found this refusal very amusing and went out her way to make the most horrid-looking meals, even to a Tamaranean, just to watch her friends' faces. But that single percent of her that did not experience amusement was disappointed that very few would dine with her whenever she was longing for her home. Even Richard had not stayed and eaten with her when they had been together.

Usually, however, whenever she was feeling that down in the dumps, Raven made a surprise appearance and sat with her. Once in a while she even sampled the meals Koriand'r had made.

Pausing in her flight, within view of the giant steel and glass building shaped like a "T", Koriand'r began to smile and feel a warm tingle along her cheeks as she recalled how Raven had gotten rid of the potent funk Kori had spiraled into a few months back when the princess had gotten a message from her parents saying that they missed their "bright-eyed warrior" and "sweet daughter", wondering when she would come home for a visit.

-_  
Kori had, of course, thought often of her world in longing but her work as a hero on Earth had occupied so much of her time that months had flown by without her realizing it. Consequently, the letters back and forth between her and her family dwindled until Koriand'r found herself wondering when the last exchange of correspondence took place. It had been four months. As the princess re-read the last letter her parents had sent so long ago, she felt the pit of her stomach fall to her knees dragging her heart into an abyss of despair while tears liberally rained down from her chin. _

_Her senses blinded by the severity of her emotions, Koriand'r almost did not register the fact that someone with cold, but gentle, hands had started to stroke her forehead and stained cheeks, slowly soothing the burn of her tears. The first coherent thought to cross her mind was something about remembering she had locked her room door before she gave herself over to the refreshing waves of calm blunting the sharp edges of her grief. _

"_R-raven...?"_

"_Shh. I am here Koriand'r. Just rest for a moment and let me help."_

_It took about an hour but the Tamaranean felt better; enough that she could smile again and mean it. _

"_Thank you Raven. But how did you know I..."_

_Removing her hands from the warmer skin of the princess' face, Raven just kept her eyes on Kori as she answered. _

"_I felt an alarming turn in your emotions and decided to see what was wrong."_

_Turning away to hide even more within the shadows of her hood, to distance herself from the lime peel green eyes that watched her with such adoration it made her blush and tingle when she should not, Raven apologized for entering her friend's room without permission. _

_Koriand'r waved off Raven's attempt to shoulder a false faux pas and just thanked the empath again. _

"_Raven, I'm feeling a little sick of Earthling food but I am hungry. Would you care to join me for a supper of fine cuisine from Tamaran...just the two of us?"  
_-

Raven had said yes and later told Kori that her favorite dish that night had been the dessert – a sweet puffy pastry of an odd teal color that had a tart purple sauce dribbled over it made from a fruit native to Tamaran that tasted like a cross between a lime and a raspberry.

_'That is what I will make tonight,'_ Koriand'r decided as she resumed her flight towards the roof of the giant tower. No one other than she and Raven will touch it, so Raven should be able to figure out that Kori made this dessert especially for her in thanks for everything she did last night.

With a light tap of her shoe on the flat surface of the roof, Koriand'r drew in a deep breath and let it out as the last rays of the sun's light fell into the ocean, taking her melancholy air with them and leaving Kori feeling so much better.

"Are you feeling happier since your flight, Koriand'r?"

Smiling wider than she has in quite a while, the tall female floated quickly over to the cloaked figure near the door that led into the tower.

"Very much Raven! Thank you for suggesting it. I did not realize how much I needed to find a little solitude."

A thin but visible grin stretched Raven's lips as Kori drew near.

"Good. Preparations for our evening meal have begun."

Firmly planting her feet upon the rooftop, Koriand'r linked arms with the empath as they entered the tower, allowing Raven to experience through her senses the giddy feelings of lightness that have returned to her friend.

"Then we must return and reserve our spot to cook in. I have the perfect dessert in mind for us. It is that one you ate an entire plate of. Have you thought of what you wish to contribute for supper Raven?"

Nodding, Raven motioned Koriand'r to go ahead of her through the last set of doors leading to the hallway while she made sure the roof access was properly shut.

"Yes. That Azarathian sweet tea you said you liked because it was not so bitter."

When Raven returned to Kori's side, the princess clasped her long golden orange fingers around delicate pale white ones that were trying to hide in the folds of Raven's cloak and smiled broadly as she led the way to the kitchen.

"Wonderful! Our chosen contributions will compliment each other very well. Oh! I meant to ask you...after supper, may I stop by tonight and rest while you meditate Raven?"

A gentle squeeze on her fingers and quiet whisper almost sent Koriand'r floating off again in joy.

"Of course Koriand'r. You are welcome anytime."

**-  
And this one is done!**

**Woot!**

**I hope you all have enjoyed reading this!**

**Please Read and Review**

**ToaR**


	5. A Sleepover

Sorry everyone for taking so long on the pool chapter but here is one that I forgot to put into the story so I'm doing that now. Please enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Do not own...at all.

ON WITH THE STORY

**-  
A Sleepover  
-**

_Poomph!_

Koriand'r let out a giggle as the large queen bed mattress sank under her weight, enfolding her in black cotton sheets and the delicate scent of lavender. Across the room, Raven watched with wide eyes as long, muscled golden-orange legs waved through the air before settling against one another in a provocative overlap of seduction, entangled in _her_ bedsheets.

Sucking in a slow deep breath, Raven attempted to center herself and beat down those emotions clamoring to make an appearance before the person of her affection.

"K-koriand'r...I cannot meditate if you are going to bounce on the bed."

Rolling in the cool fabric, reveling in a mattress softer than her own, Koriand'r merely snuggled into one of the two pillows and kept her pupil-less eyes focused on her hostess.

"Thank you for letting me sleep here tonight Raven. As much as I enjoy bunking with Donna and the other girls I needed a break from the tension and prying about my break-up with Richard."

Feeling the dip in Koriand'r's elation over her reason for sleeping in _this_ room, Raven quickly reassured the taller female she was more than welcome, "Remember?"

Smiling big, Koriand'r nodded and relaxed back into a happier mindset, relieved that tonight was one night closer to the last day of vacation and she would be able to reclaim her old room soon. When she and Richard were no longer dating she had needed to move back into the private quarters she was first assigned when she had joined the Teen Titans. During this week of vacation, though, Koriand'r had given up her room for their guests. More specifically, the youngest Titans: Melvin, Timmy, and Teether.

Sighing lightly, Koriand'r let those thoughts go. Tonight she would not worry about anything other than a good night's sleep and maybe a little conversation time with her wonderful friend. Lifting her head from its place on the pillow she clutched in both arms Koriand'r took a look around and spotted Raven already set up for meditation on the corner mat.

Sitting cross-legged on top of a dark, flat cushion with her palms resting on her knees, Raven quietly chanted her mantras before a single lit candle held in a cast iron candlestick holder. Resting between her and the candle was a hand mirror that glinted and winked in the flicker of the flaming wick.

_'Odd. I do not remember Raven using a mirror for meditation before.'_

Koriand'r was intrigued but knew better than to disturb Raven or anything around the empath when she was in a trance. Bad things have happened before to some of the guys for ignoring the half-demon's warnings about approaching her when she was under. Chuckling at the memory of a bald green-skinned cat hightailing it out of Raven's room about a week after the Titans had formed so many years ago, Koriand'r decided she would ask about the mirror after Raven finished her ritual. In the meantime, a small nap was in order – it had been an exciting if tiring few days of the _T-Connection _already and even Kori's substantial stamina was waning.

Shuffling around for a moment to find the perfect spot, Kori ended up wrapped loosely in a single bed sheet and laying on her left side, one arm resting on her waist with the other cradling her head under the pillow she had claimed for her own tonight...All in all the Tamaranean was well and truly content and asleep in moments, lulled into slumber by the soft monotone voice of her companion.

Raven knew exactly when her guest for the night entered the regulated rhythms of sleep even while concentrating fully on clearing her mind and expanding her senses of the world within and without. The gentle rise and fall of the Tamaranean's breathing unconsciously became the pace Raven herself inhaled and exhaled as she turned her attention once more to 'cleaning house.' She desperately needed to meditate due to the last few hectic days with so many teenagers surrounding her constantly and not shielding their emotions very well.

While she was particularly fond of the three youngest heroes, Melvin and her brothers, not one of them had any qualms about latching on to her and asking her to play with them and the others. In deference to the idea that vacation meant games to her favorite teammates, Raven did her best to be available and amenable to their requests to join in. The price she paid was vigilance. Her control was greatly weakened during this week and she had to meditate and remove herself from the festivities often to get away from the constant bombardment of emotions from the others.

Luckily none of her 'kids', as Cyborg dubbed them, took offense to her reclusive moments. In fact, Teether accompanied her on one session. Granted he fell asleep in her lap within minutes but it was the thought that counted with a bemused Raven. The empath would never admit it but she liked Cyborg's description of the three little heroes. While they were here at the Tower they were hers to care for and she rose to the challenge. She had tucked them in earlier two doors down from her own room. It was a spare bedroom that had a large bed and a large floor space – perfect for three kids and a giant walking teddy bear to sleep in.

Her thoughts then wandered a little further towards the previous owner of that room, ultimately coming full circle back to the other, sleeping, occupant of her quarters before berating herself for deviating from her purpose. She was supposed to be settling her wayward emotions, not inciting new riots among them by thinking about her four favorite people...

One of whom brought forth, by far, the most unsettling and uncomfortable emotions from her. Redoubling her efforts, Raven succeeded in entering a light depth of meditation – just enough to journey to the realms of Nevermore and sort out a few discrepancies.

_'...I loathe this shade of pink...'_

"Luckily you only have to exit your manifest mindscape to escape the pinkness."

Throwing only an unamused sneer at the glasses-wearing doppelganger in yellow, Raven otherwise ignored her intelligent self and continued to survey the party taking place in front of her.

"...Why are you all in Happy's realm? ...And together?"

Closing a large leather tome of memories she had been reading, Intelligence lifted an eyebrow in mirth.

"You already know why."

Rolling her dark blue eyes, Raven crossed her arms and sent another narrow-eyed glare towards her seated clone.

"For the sake of confirming my knowledge of the situation, enlighten me once more."

Adjusting the lenses perched on the bridge of her nose, Intelligence proceeded to explain the odd occurrence taking place inside Raven's head.

"Well, as you know, the Titans, both active and honorary, have been on vacation this week. While this has been tradition for quite a few years now, you did not participate in the activities as much then due to the fact that you had no incentive to risk your peace of mind during those times. Now that Melvin, Timmy and Teether are here and demand that you _'have fun'_ with them, and you care enough about them to give in to their pleas, you have blurred the boundaries between many of your emotions. Thus they have mixed and mingled."

Here the yellow clad manifested 'emotion' slipped off her glasses and began to polish them. While she did she sent Raven a sly glance and smirk, waiting for the obvious question that was to come next.

"That does not explain why _they_ are here too!"

And here was the opening she had been waiting for. A very smug smile found a home on the pale face as Intelligence replaced her cleaned spectacles and gazed out over the party held by Raven's 'emotions' in Happy's well-lit open field.

Mixed in with the pink, green, orange, gray, and pale blue cloaks were ones of red, black and royal purple. Intelligence had only one word to say in response.

"Hmm...Koriand'r."

All movement froze as every eye snapped to the deathly still owner of this world. Raven had, of course, realized the true reason her usual control had been lax lately but hearing it said out loud, even in the private recesses of her head, was too much...made it real.

The silence was broken by the sound of a heartbeat growing louder in the air as Raven's mind began to recall _why_ it was in so much chaos. Koriand'r was precious to Raven...so much so that she found herself not caring about things she should, like her meditations to control her demonic capabilities and mental struggles. Koriand'r was so gorgeous...Raven could not stop the rush of blood to her cheeks and _other_ areas whenever the female smiled at her. Koriand'r was so kind and fierce protective when she needed to be...Raven felt herself melt into a puddle of emotional goo every time the alien woman came to her for advice or considered her opinion above that of others. And Raven always felt a visceral reaction to Kori's temper – she wanted to challenge the strong warrior in order to bath in that indomitable spirit.

There was more, oh so much more, that drew the dark empath to the wildly bright Tamaranean, and her heart beat faster as every one of those innumerable reasons flashed through her consciousness. It wasn't until she registered the hysterical high-pitched laughter from Happy and the low sultry moaning from the purple-clad Desire that Raven tried to reign in her hormonal thoughts about her teammate.

But it was too late and the damage had been done.

Every emotion Raven had ever known she possessed (and quite a few she was not aware of) reacted intensely to the mental stimulation caused by memories of Koriand'r. Happy and Desire were vying for the most control over all the other emotions, since they were the most effected, staining the surrounding area a combination of purple and pink. It was like watching a pinball machine light up and make sound – all of the emotions were in motion and loud about it.

Helplessly Raven turned to the embodiment of her intellect for reason and a solution.

"If even thinking about Koriand'r throws me into this much chaos how in the Hell am I going to be able to sleep next to her tonight, let alone in the same _room_!"

Having gone back to reading the book of memories that Raven now saw was labeled _Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, _Intelligence blinked a few times to reorient herself and consider the implications of what her boss just said...

"S-sleep with Kori...! Um...uh...!"

Flabbergasted, Raven watched with a mixture of awe and incredulity over the fact that the mere mention of the sleeping arrangements had caused Intelligence to stutter and struggle for the right words.

"It's all that alien bitch's fault we're like this!"

The dual-toned growl in her ear was met by gleaming white eyes as Raven's hand shot out and lifted her most troublesome emotion into the air by her neck.

"You will never address Koriand'r in that fashion again."

With a snarl the red cloaked double struggled from her Mistress' grip, unable to use her power because Happy and Desire were too strong at the moment, dampening her own power, and because Raven was stating fact – not truly angry.

"You're a bitch!"

Nodding, Raven let Rage go.

"I know."

The difficult emotion just glowered as she stood there not wanting to join in the 'love-fest' with her kin but equally hating being anywhere near her captor. Not concerning herself with Rage any longer, understanding that even free from their father's control it is in her nature to be ungrateful, displeased, and an all-around murderous bitch, Raven turned back to the recovered Intelligence.

"Well...you could always kick Koriand'r out."

"NO!"

The reverberated shout rang in Raven's head and instantly gave her a headache. Scowling, the original empath glared at all her emotions, pissed but secretly impressed. This is probably the first time that they all were in agreement about anything.

"Provided you could all _behave_ so we _could_ sleep next to her without incident, I, too, would say 'no.' But since you all like to act out when I least want you to..."

Leaving the threat there, Raven returned to her conversation with the bookworm.

"Any other options?"

"...You could always bunk with the kids."

Only half her emotions did not mind that idea, but even they were not very enthusiastic. Raising an eyebrow, Raven just shook her head. Shrugging and opening up her book once more, Intelligence then delivered Raven's only other choice.

"Then you should just sleep with her."

It was very, _very_ tempting but...

"I cannot guarantee her safety from 'us' because of the havoc this last week has played with my control."

It was true. The constant bombardment of emotions and rampant thoughts has basically shredded Raven's normally impenetrable mental shielding. It will take at least another two days of intense meditative discipline for her to bring things back to normal. That's not even taking into account the fact that the _T-Connection_ does not end for another 4-5 days.

"Then I will guarantee it."

The hoarse, pain-filled whisper drew everyone's immediate attention. Huddled tightly in a black cloak that seemed to cringe and writhe in agony with every movement of its wearer, Pain looked out warily at the assembly.

"I don't want to feel the pain anymore. My nerves are shot, my skin is bleeding from the shrapnel of the emotions of others, and my heart has a chance to beat without seizing. In her presence I do not feel and I want that for this one week when we can sleep with her without questioning motives. A free night each day. I want it."

Blind white eyes stared unseeing as scarred and burnt broken hands clutched the pitiful figure to a twisted tree. None of the other emotions would get near this one but they could all feel the promise of intense misery if they dared to deny her her wish. Even Happy's smile toned down but she was the one to back her 'sister' up.

"I would be so happy to spend time like that with Kori that I, too, will ensure 'we' behave."

One by one Raven's emotions nodded in agreement; even two of her most dangerous ones – Desire and Rage – acquiesced to the conditions. As soon as they all indicated they would behave, they disappeared back to their respective realms to calm down enough for Raven to believe they would stay there for the night.

Left alone and once more in control, Raven slowly began to exit her mindscape, coming out of her trance and blowing out the severely melted candle before picking up her meditation mirror and replacing it on her vanity top. Only then did she turn to the sleeping beauty in her bed.

Wryly, Raven noticed that Koriand'r had taken her usual spot on the bed, but that was alright for tonight. Without making a sound, the empath drifted over to her bathroom, shedding her cloak on the way to hang it on the peg near the closet. Not bothering to turn any lights on due to her ability to see clearly in darkness, Raven pulled on the tap to let warm water flow. Cupping the liquid in her hands, the empath expertly washed her face before brushing her teeth and combing her hair in preparation for sleep. The only thing left was to change into her usual sleep attire – a tank top and loose drawstring pants.

As she tugged off her unitard and slipped into her pajamas, Raven chuckled quietly at the memory of Koriand'r's reassurance earlier that night when the alien princess first arrived at her door that she had brought appropriate night clothes and would not be sleeping in the nude as she usually does. Slightly disappointed at the time but infinitely grateful for one less temptation, Raven had reassured the Tamaranean that she appreciated Kori's thoughtfulness.

Allowing her day-old clothes to drop to the floor to be picked up later that morning, Raven carefully padded to her side of the bed for tonight and pulled back the covers not being hogged by her bedmate.

Staring at the ceiling for a bit to get used to the idea of a companion for the night, Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling each muscle relax in turn. When she felt as if sleep might be a possibility Raven turned onto her side facing Koriand'r and just smiled slightly as she closed her eyes to drift off.

Sleep was just about to claim the empath when a warm weight settling on her waist and a mini-sun that chased away the cold that inhabited her skin drew near her. The strangeness of her situation startled Raven awake, but not as much as the voice in her ear did.

"Hm...Raven?"

Frozen in place, Raven could only grunt in return.

"S'ry but I wanted to ask...that mirror...havn't seen b'fore."

It was just as well her emotions promised to behave because right at this moment, with Koriand'r snuggling up to her and nuzzling her ear as she whispered into it, they could have leveled Jump City and Raven would not have cared.

"Y-y-yes Koriand'r?"

Wrapping her arm more fully around the bare petite waist in front of her, Kori just mumbled the word "mirror" before closing both heavy eyelids and falling dangerously close back into slumberland.

_'Mirror...? Oh!'_

Quietly, while she lay perfectly still in those snug arms, Raven answered her beautiful teammate.

"That mirror is a tool I use sometimes in meditation; especially when my emotions are being particularly difficult to control."

A sleepy hum of interest was the only sound she got out of her companion. Chuckling slightly, Raven began to slowly relax in her new sleeping position, happy that, as promised, her emotions did not stir so much she couldn't handle it. Tentatively a pale hand rose and reached out to gently rest on the curvy waist lying parallel to her own.

Koriand'r wasn't so far gone that she wasn't aware of the soft touch so she pulled Raven closer to her, wanting the empath to know that she liked their current arrangement. The tingle of pleasure and sleepy energy that Raven picked up from Kori made her shiver and blush, but it made her smile too.

"Maybe...I'll show you Nevermore someday, Koriand'r."

There was nothing more to be done this night and both heroines spent the rest of it peacefully dreaming in each others warm embrace. Tomorrow was worlds away.

**Mwahaha! I am so evil...ok, maybe not that bad.**

**Read and Review please ^^**

**ToaR**


	6. From a Cat

This chapter will be one of those from a point of view outside of Star's and Raven's, just for a little perspective.

**Disclaimer:** Not mine...for now!

ON WITH THE STORY

**-  
From a Cats-eye View  
-**

"Geez Raven, could you be any creepier?"

Garfield had always had a problem with keeping his thoughts and opinions to himself; even as a once-enemy of the Titans I knew this flaw in the green shape-changer. I also knew that very few ever defended the dark empath from his thoughtlessness and took it upon myself to prepare a neon pink jolt to send towards his pants with the goal of giving him a wedgie for being an idiot. I never got the chance to release my built-up energy because someone else got to Gar before me.

"YEOW!"

The image of Beast Boy slapping at the seat of his pants while running around like a chicken with its head cut off will remain with me until the day I die – for once the little prankster managed to truly amuse me. But at the next moment it was the golden, green-eyed warrior grabbing a hold of the flailing boy to lift him off the ground until he was eye-level with her that caught my full attention.

And his.

"Silence Garfield. You have overstepped your bounds. Raven has her reasons for refusing to participate in the movie marathon and you will respect them."

Shaking the whimpering puppy that Garfield had shifted into, driving home her point and breaking his concentration so he became a boy again, Koriand'r continued to chastise him with furious glowing eyes.

"You will not escape this Garfield. I do not like doing this in front of our peers but your constant disrespect of our teammate this weekend will end, Now. Apologize to Raven, whom you have hurt with your cruel words."

Releasing the shame-faced shifter to fall on his burnt posterior, Kori stood cross-armed and waiting, looking at no one but Garfield. For a few long moments, silence reigned. No one dared to breathe lest they cause the angered princess to throw her wrath their way.

Me, well, I wouldn't have minded so much but that is just my personality quirk. Nevertheless, I was glad that it was sweet Starfire who finally took Gar to task for his immature behavior during this week-long get-together; her scolding will stick better than anyone else's would.

Grumbling a bit, but blushing with shame, Garfield scrambled into a standing position and tentatively sought out Raven after a quick side-glance at the staring alien behind him.

Raven stood near the corner of the kitchen island, huddled in her full-body cloak which completely shielded her from view, not saying anything. When Garfield began his stammered apology Raven merely shifted slightly so more of her back faced the shapeshifter. It did not seem as if she was ready to forgive him yet. Still, at the end of his plea for forgiveness Raven nodded, giving him what he sought but not without a parting shot.

"And, you are doing dishes for a month."

"What! Dude that's so unfai..." Garfield choked back the rest of his outrage when Kori's glowing hand landed heavily upon his right shoulder. "...I-I mean, yeah. Dishes for a month."

Not willing to stay for any more possible punishments, the green boy changed into a mouse and scurried out of sight; probably off to sulk in that pigsty he called a room for a while before coming back out later to join everyone for the Late Night Movie Marathon.

...The awkward silence was finally disrupted by the pop of the corn kernels on the kitchen stove. The smell of fresh popcorn dove into my nostrils and wiped the earlier confrontation from my mind – it was time for the movie madness to begin! I quickly dashed to grab the best seat in the house (the bean bag) and drag it over to the side of the couch where I can watch both the movies and the people watching said movies. I will admit to getting a kick out of the facial reactions and not-so-secret cuddle actions that take place during viewing time. Seeing the looks of disgust on the girls' faces whenever one of the slasher movies is on and then watching the guys fumble as they try every romantic trick in the book to get closer to their crushes during those sappy romances...yeah, the audience is just as entertaining as the movie.

Plopping down so hard my legs fly up and partially expose my pink striped panties (if Speedy's blush is any indication), I leaned my head back far enough to see something so shocking my jaw decided to defy gravity and fall open to the ceiling.

Thank the gods I was already sitting, otherwise the image in the kitchen I was seeing would have knocked me to the floor in a crumpled heap. Raven had her hood down...she had her hood down and she was smiling! Ok, this isn't exactly _new_ to me since I've seen the empath with her face bared before and smiling...and it usually indicated that my ass was grass, but! But! That isn't the reason for my shock!

It was the golden-orange hand caressing Raven's ghostly pale cheek and the cascade of rusty colored hair that framed the sight of Koriand'r bent over and resting her forehead against Raven's. They were clearly whispering to each other but, sadly, superhearing is not one of my abilities...especially when all the other occupants of the tower were clamoring for seats and arguing over movie sequence. But just because I couldn't hear them doesn't mean I can't watch!

I flipped myself over so the blood would no longer rush to my head – I wanted to make sure I wasn't witnessing a hallucination brought on by too much oxygen to my brain. When the world righted itself they were still there, so close and touching.

Raven had brought her own hand up to cover Kori's and seemed to be replying to what the redhead had spoken to her a moment before. Despite my anticipation, nothing much more interesting happened – just some more whispers with maintained contact.

Boring!

I let out a disappointed sigh and was about to turn my attention back to the start of the movie when my 'Jinx instincts' tingled. Unlike Spidey, tingling along my spine means that something close to me has been affected by the laws of chance and chaos. The fact that my spine tingles is because my powers react to those moments of the unlikely or improbable.

Suppressing the surge of neon pink so my eyes would not glow and give me away, I whipped my head around so fast my neck cracked. The stinging discomfort was so worth it! The only thought going through my head at the moment was '_I hope Raven is too distracted to catch me staring._'

Koriand'r had let the empath go and moved into the kitchen to make a pot of tea if the kettle she held under the faucet was any indication. But Raven, she had not moved from her spot. The only change was to her expression as her eyes trailed after the alien.

"Oh man! She's got it bad."

The quiet whisper I let loose was drowned out by my other teammates arguing over who would hold the remote. Raven's pale lips were slightly parted in a smile that could only be described as smitten and her eyes were hopelessly adoring as they traced every movement Koriand'r made.

I continued to spy on the two heroines – Raven's face smoothed out when Kori turned back around with a cup of white tea in hand, smiling slightly in thanks – Koriand'r smiled brightly in response as she handed off the drink, blushing slightly as their fingers brushed – they were both sitting at the table quietly speaking, legs outstretched and almost touching.

_'I do believe Hell has frozen over.'_

The most stubborn and emotionally distant female I have ever met is head over tail feathers in love! And with someone who is the flip-side of the coin from her! No wonder I got the tingles!

"Yo! Movie's starting!"

Tearing my eyes from the cute domestic scene in the kitchen was difficult but I figured I would have plenty of other opportunities to spy on those two the rest of this week, so I snuggled down into my seat and turned my attention to the opening sequence of the movie knowing that the best part is yet to come.

**-  
Done with this chapter! How did you all like Jinx's POV?**

**Read and Review please**

**ToaR**


	7. Break Down

**Sorry it took so long to get this next chapter out. School starts soon and I've been getting ready ;p  
Hope you all enjoy this one!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans...no matter how much I wish I did!

ON WITH THE STORY

**-  
Break Down  
-**

There is one thing I will always credit Robin on – he is a fast and efficient worker and nothing can get in his way when he focuses on a goal.

But right at the moment my thoughts about the illustrious Titans leader are less than complementary...bordering on homicidal in fact. The reason for my _disgruntlement_ with bird boy has two parts.

First, and most obvious, is that he has brought a date to the Titans' _T-Connection _ get together – a Gothamite heroine by the name of Batgirl – and is showing her off. The second is that Koriand'r does not have such a date to demonstrate that she, too, has moved on from their past relationship.

My stomach almost heaved itself out into the open air when Robin entered the living room and introduced his date because Koriand'r's emotions literally plummeted to levels I had never felt from the usually upbeat female. Ignoring the need to gag as best I could, I tried to pull myself together but I would not draw my senses back from my companion.

She was hurting...so badly...and I will not abandon her in her time of need. Luckily we had entered the kitchen before Robin arrived, leaving us out of view from the rest of our team and better able to prepare for the uncomfortable meeting ahead.

Closing my eyes and mentally fading the world out to calm my mind, I then searched for and found the golden-spirited Tamaranean, sharing with her some of my calm fortitude. The gray areas of depression and numbness trying to swallow her bright aura disappeared beneath my 'touch' and I felt Koriand'r inhale deeply before letting the air out slowly; she was in control of her emotions once more.

Staying connected to her for just a few more moments to ensure against the return of those debilitating feelings, I also let her glimpse my own roiling emotions – the most prominent being a mixture of anger and indignation on Kori's behalf. When my eyes opened to the physical world again I jerked back slightly at the close proximity of lime peel green pupil-less eyes. Although a small smile tugged at her full lips, Koriand'r's eyes were sad and I found my brow furrowing in concern.

"Koriand'r...?"

Very warm fingertips settled gently on my left cheek and stroked up and down for a moment, effectively drowning my mind in her smell and touch, blocking out all else.

"Thank you Raven. Could you stay with me for the rest of the evening? I do not want to be alone."

Of its own volition my hand rose to trace my own fingertips over Koriand'r's cheekbone before trailing down her jaw. Fascinated at the mounting color and wistful smile that transformed her sad grin into a more pleasant expression, I could not help but agree to her plea.

"Of course Koriand'r. I will be here as long as you are."

Satisfied with my promise, Koriand'r's soothing caress left my face to clasp my own still wandering hand and tugged me with her back into the main room from our spot in the kitchen where she and I had been returning our cups when Robin had shown up with his partner.

Normally I like silence but the oppressive one that settled over all the capes and tights when we came into view was extremely uncomfortable. Neither Kori nor I allowed our faces to show that discomfort though. In fact, Koriand'r smiled widely at the newcomer and introduced herself before sidestepping and drawing me forward by the hand still gripped in mine.

"And this is Raven."

My greeting was a simple "Hello" as I took in Robin's date and the interesting fact that the Boy Wonder had left her side the moment Koriand'r had shown up, only sticking around long enough to mumble her name before backing away. I watched as Barbara's eyes narrowed slightly at Richard as she followed his movements and felt her emotions streak red hot with hurt, anger and disappointment.

Barbara's return greeting was polite and honest when she said she was pleased to meet us both. The pleasantries were over now and everyone began to breath regularly again; nothing was wrong between Kori and Dick apparently...

I knew better.

Koriand'r has not let go of my hand once and has even tightened her hold at certain moments during this painful process. Ah, Robin just sidled back into the picture and is directing Barbara over towards a group of heroines chatting with Aqualad. Before the two head off the human redhead tells us again how happy she is to meet everyone. Koriand'r replies verbally while I just nod. Robin won't look at either of us but says he will talk to us later.

"Come on Babs, have you met Garth yet?"

_OUCH!_

The bones in my hand are grinding together in a very painful way under the pressure of Koriand'r's unconscious squeeze as she remains rooted to her spot while the other Titans all gathered around the newcomer.

"Koriand'r..._Kori!_"

Whipping her head back to look at me when I called out her name and wrenched my abused hand away from hers, Koriand'r did not immediately understand why I was cradling my arm against my chest or why there were tears in my eyes. I saw the moment the cause of my pain clicked in her memory and felt her despair over unintentionally harming me.

Taking a step towards me with her only intention being a soft hug and an apology to balance out the hurt, Koriand'r flinched, as if I physically struck her, when I involuntarily took a step back from her.

_'Damn!'_

I very rarely indulge in expletives but this situation certainly warranted one...or two.

"I-I'm so _very_ sorry!"

Koriand'r looked as if she was going to collapse and cry her heart out, shamefaced and in so much emotional pain that has been accumulating since Richard and Barbara walked in through the foyer doors. Before she could waver anymore I swept her into an embrace and teleported us to a safe haven where prying eyes and ears could not watch her break down – my room.

We landed in front of my plush sofa and I just tipped us back so we were seated on the cushy dark furniture. By now Koriand'r was clutching my shoulders and holding me as hard as she dared after that last incident. I compensated by tightening my own grip and whispering into her mass of rusty-colored hair that she was free to let go now.

I felt the head buried in the crook of my neck nod before the tears finally left those gorgeous eyes. She did not wail but she might as well have. The crash of her unbridled mix of negative emotions slammed into me like a freight train at full speed, almost shattering my concentration and sending me into a panic. But I held steadfast and just rocked the younger female in my arms, focusing on my words to her.

"I'm sorry I backed away from you Koriand'r. I did that on reflex and I apologize for it. I-I am unused to your strength, but I should have told you sooner that your hold was growing uncomfortable. Do not blame yourself for that as I have already healed. So please, do not feel anymore shame or I will begin to feel bad as well."

My answer was a sniffle and a soft touch on the back of my neck as her emotions shifted away from her shame over injuring me towards the last of her heartbreak.

"Thank you, always, Raven."

The quiet words muffled between her tears in a husky voice made me blush for only a few seconds but the shy smile on my lips lasted much longer and I dared to press my cheek against her own, as close to a kiss as I will allow myself to get.

"Take your time Koriand'r. We have no need to return until we are ready."

"What if they come looking for us?"

I let loose a chuckle as I shifted us into a more comfortable position that seemed to tickle her ear because she hiccuped a few times.

"I will send them into another dimension."

More hiccups, a few last tears, but a growing smile let me know she appreciated my dry humor. She settled down a bit more before pulling a short distance away and resting her forehead against mine. Hoarsely Koriand'r said a phrase in Tamaranean but when I asked what she said she just softly smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you Raven for protecting me when I was so vulnerable."

A chaste kiss brushed my lips as Koriand'r moved in my arms to a sleeping position. Drained from the immense rush of emotions that she could no longer contain, the princess fell asleep quickly. Luckily for my piece of mind she had closed her eyes after that move and dropped off quite quickly.

I was glowing as bright as her starbolts.

**-  
Another chapter ready to review!**

**ToaR**


	8. The Next Move

**I am so sorry about the messed up underlined dialog near the end. For some reason won't let me upload the doc properly and won't even let me fix it once it is loaded. Just pretend you don't see the technical difficulties!**

**Disclaimer: **No amount of begging got me the rights...so I still don't own these guys/gals

ON WITH THE STORY

**-  
The Next Move  
-**

***Check***

Dark blue eyes narrowed at the chessboard and the figures still in play, weighing the possibility of sacrificing her knight in a last ditch effort to save the king or perhaps trapping her monarch in the snare her opponent had set for her. Knowing the inevitable outcome of this game but not willing to give up without at least a token of resistance, Raven sighed as her slender fingers slid the only black knight left of the field to his doom.

Sure enough her adversary swept forward with his queen and took out her last defense.

***Checkmate***

Grimacing slightly at the decimation of her troops, the empath gently flicked the crowned chess piece and watched it topple over to lay at the feet of the white queen.

"_Sigh_ Good game Joseph."

Scooping together all of his white players, Joey smiled but let his concern touch her senses, knowing she will open a mental link with him so that they could talk without having to sign long sequences and interrupt their game. Even though he was mostly known for his ability to possess people by making eye contact, Joseph Wilson, aka Jericho, also had latent telepathic abilities courtesy of the medical experiments his father subjected himself to in order to become the perfect soldier. It wasn't until he met Raven, though, that he got a chance to use and get used to them.

"_What is the matter Joseph?"_

Lining up his pawns before dealing with the heavy hitters in the back row of the board, Joey shared the reason for his concern for her.

"_I have defeated you twice now."_

Glancing at the blond man seated across from her, Raven quickly averted her eyes back to the placement of her knights and bishops. Those two sometimes got mixed up in formation.

"_Then it must just be your lucky day."_

Soundlessly chuckling, the male Titan made the first move with his knight's pawn.

"_Either that or you are terribly distracted...as you have been for the last two days."_

Ignoring her companion as best she could, Raven started at a faster pace by letting loose her queen's knight. He had opened the conversation but knew that only Raven could continue it, so Joey just concentrated on the game at hand.

Five moves in the half-demon had her first casualty, but she quickly took revenge for her pawn by displacing one of Joey's.

"_Has it been that obvious?"_

The quiet mental question caused Joey to pause as he was contemplating his next move. Raven would not meet his gaze, instead casting her head down to look at the worn wooden pawn still in her hand.

"_Only to those who care to look and wonder at your unusual behavior."_

Raven let the relief trickle down her body, easing the tension the thought of all the other capes and tights _knowing_ she was not her usual sharply observant self had built up. The game continued for a bit longer with no further captures on the board.

Then Joseph's bishop got the jump on Raven's rook.

"_Koriand'r has been depressed."_

Despite the nonchalant delivery, light green eyes watched in muted wonder as both a blush and scowl made appearances on Raven's face. Her hand faltered on its way to the black bishop in danger and instead fell on the dark queen poised to do some damage.

"_I know. Richard is an Idiot."_

There was a considerable amount of venom attached to the last half of that statement and it took her opponent aback.

"_I have spoken with her a few times already before you all arrived, trying to help."_

Joey frowned as his knight was captured and quickly retreated to regroup before launching another skirmish.

"_Has it helped?"_

Grimly Raven watched as her line of infantry was all but destroyed.

"_She told me it has. But...this gathering has not allowed her sufficient time to..."_

Raven struggled to explain but Joseph understood.

"_Enough time to recover."_

There went her last rook.

"_Exactly."_

There was another lull in game play as both players contemplated their next moves.

"_I suppose Richard bringing a date did not help matters."_

Telepathy was not needed to interpret the _look_ Raven balefully sent his way but she felt a need to articulate at least some of her feelings on this subject.

"_Richard is an Ass."_

Joey tried to stifle a chuckle but it leaked out around the edges of his smile.

"_Soon enough I'll get you to tell me how you __**really**__ feel about our fearless leader."_

Plonking down her second to last pawn in its new space, Raven dryly replied.

"_Foolhardy, Joseph, not fearless."_

Smile widening just a bit, Joey took his move.

"_You are right. Koriand'r is gorgeous inside and out. He is a fool to have broken things off."_

The empath let out an agreeing hum as she aligned her bishop up with its next target. With fewer players left, the two Titans were more cautious with their movements so the time lengthened between assaults and strategic placement.

"_I wonder if she would like to go out on a date with me sometime this week now that she is free."_

If he had not been watching carefully out of the corner of his eyes, Joey would have missed the startled panicked look Raven gave him as her head snapped up from the wooden playing field.

"_...W-wha...I..."_

For just a moment her thoughts were a jumbled mess, racing in no coherent order, before she reigned her shock in.

"_I did not know you were...interested in Koriand'r that way Joseph."_

Her knight was wide open and soon snatched up.

"_I believe every male Titan with a pulse and not gay is __**interested**__ in the lovely Starfire."_

Raven fidgeted in her seat but her tone was slightly scathing before she absently shoved her bishop too close to the final white rook.

"_I know."_

Joey felt the heat from her glare and fought to ignore it as he took her unconscious offering.

"_Do you believe I should ask her, Raven? You are her closest companion and know her best. Would she possibly say 'yes'?"_

Having shifted her hot gaze back to the pieces in play so she could scowl fiercely without too much question as to why, seeing as her troops were in big trouble once again, Raven missed the fond smile the blond man threw her way.

"_I do not know __**what**__ she will say Joseph."_

"_True. But do you __**think**__ I should ask?"_

Before she could reply Joey's large hand reached across the field to cover her fingers as they rested on the folds of the queen's headdress.

"_Tell me truthfully Raven. Do you __**want**__ me – or anyone else for that matter – to ask Koriand'r out?"_

Not bothering to shake off his touch, Raven viciously swooped in with her most versatile player and made a last ditch effort to salvage a victory.

"_No."_

His hand left hers as soon as she let go of the black queen. His move was made in silence and now there was only one solitary black piece left to capture. This battle was lost, but before Raven could once again topple her king as a sign of defeat, Joey gently picked it up and examined the fine lines in the dark wood.

"_Chess is a game of strategy, of logic with rules and certain patterns to follow to ensure victory. It is a wonderful __**game**__. Luckily life is not so predictable."_

Setting her swarthy king next to his pale queen, Joey raised his light green gaze to find Raven's dark azure eyes riveted to his, searching for what he knew. Smiling softly, the young male Titan began to rise from his chair.

"_Take a chance Raven. She would say 'yes' to you."_

The empath sat frozen as the telepathic link was cut after that last thought as Joseph exited the living room of the Tower in search of their teammate who were just returning from their shopping trip in the city if the rising noise level in the lobby was any indication. Breathing was difficult and fears began to cloud her vision, but a very familiar voice caused those paralyzing thoughts to come to a screeching halt.

"Raven! Did you have a restful afternoon? I heard from Joey that you defeated him in battle on the field of chess. Congratulations!"

_'She is so happy to see me...'_

Soundlessly standing, Raven walked to Kori's side and corrected her knowledge of the game's outcome.

"Actually Koriand'r, Joseph outmaneuvered me today, but your sign language is improving immensely."

The Tamaranean beamed at the empath, allowing the complement to augment her good mood and settle the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that rose when Raven moved nearer to her.

"Thank you Raven. And do not fear for your past winning streak; there will be many more battles to wage another day. For now, would you like to hear about our shopping excursion? I promise a very amusing tale involving Garth, Roy and a speedo."

Shaking her head in amusement and letting loose a short laugh, Raven reached for one of the numerous bags hanging from Koriand'r's forearms.

"I would enjoy that Koriand'r."

Together the pair left the outer gathering room for the halls that led to the private quarters of the residential Titans. The only evidence that anyone had been in the large living room was the unorganized chess board with the white queen and black king still standing side-by-side in the middle of the wooden field.

**-  
Chess is awesome! Woot!**

**Sadly I'm a complete amateur so if the game play sounds a little unrealistic, forgive me.**

**Read and Review Please!**

**ToaR**


	9. Activities: The Contest

I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!

**Disclaimer: **It's so disheartening but…I don't own them

ON WITH THE STORY

-  
**Activities – The Contest**  
-

It had actually been Robin who suggested this activity to let the more restless members of the Titans blow off some steam after three days of eating, playing video games and no villains to pummel. The object of the game was to knock your opponent to the ground – anything goes barring heavy damage – and pin them there for the ten seconds counted by the referee's stopwatch.

No doubt the Titan leader thought this would be a great training session about strategy and creativity disguised as a game, but that hope was shattered into a million shiny pieces when Karen _tickled_ Garfield into submission.

Everyone got a great laugh out of the shape-changer's many attempts to get un-pinned. He was unable to concentrate enough to shift due to the fact that he was laughing so hard and could not catch his breath. Bumblebee won that round but Victor emerged victorious the next match with her and moved up the ranks as the gracefully defeated heroine joined the spectators in the bleachers.

Admittedly, there were so many clever ways the young and older teens went about trying to pin their opponents…but just as many were ridiculously funny. Even Raven could not hold back a smirk at certain points. Especially when Koriand'r, sitting next to her, was obviously enjoying every moment of this. The Tamaranean had been about to go insane from the latent energy tingling under her skin, itching to be let out, when Richard had created this contest. So far each challenge had been a great work out; every individual providing various styles of evasion and offensive strategies to pit her own against.

Needless to say, Koriand'r rose through the ranks very assuredly, but one fact kept her from rejoicing in her prowess as a warrior – Robin, too, was rising and most likely to face her at some point.

The Tamaranean had mixed feelings about that. On one hand, Richard is an excellent tactician and martial artist; she believed he would be her most difficult opponent and one she might not win against. On the other, Kori is still very _very_ angry and heartbroken by his dismissal – she does not want to be in contact with him at all. As the cheering crowd of defeated contestants grew larger Koriand'r's chances of _not_ facing off against Robin grew infinitely smaller. Despite her inner battle the warrior in her would never think of throwing a match so Kori was mentally preparing to battle her ex-suitor when Cyborg's flying body distracted her.

Before the mechanical bruiser could even get back onto his feet a deceptively petite female fell feet first onto his chest, knocking him back down. Victor began to throw punches and kick out in an effort to dislodge her from her crouched position on his center of gravity. Not deterred in the least, Raven blocked or ducked each and every blow, eventually tapping just the right circuitry connections to disable Victor's control over his limbs with the ultimate goal being his total immobility. In a last ditch effort to gain his freedom Cyborg charged and aimed his sonic cannon at Raven hoping to make her fly out of its way and off of him. His plan did not succeed. The empath simply erected a tilted plane of black energy and deflected the blast to the sky then quickly hooked two cords in her fingers and yanked.

Victor fought to move his body for only a moment before he sighed and yielded the match to her. Herald announced Raven as the winner of this round and called forth the next pair of fighters. Calmly Raven levitated Cyborg out of the arena and over to the bleachers set up for everyone to sit on as they enjoy the show. Methodically, so she would not make a mistake, Raven reconnected her friend so he could move and take stock of any repairs that might be needed after fighting so many of his teammates.

"Thanks Rae. Good match girl!"

Shaking his hand, Raven nodded and returned the compliment.

"You are a skilled fighter Victor. Thank you for the match."

The two Titans went their separate ways after that – Cyborg to join the others in their carousing on the bleachers and Raven to stand next to Koriand'r. The empath was greeted with a smile and a heartfelt congratulation.

"You fought well Raven."

Koriand'r's praise and excitement drew a tiny smile from Raven who just ducked her head in acknowledgement of the taller girl's words. Both heroines returned their attention back to the anticipated match between Robin and Wonder Girl, one grimacing as her friend seemed to be losing and the other watching impassively as the Boy Wonder eventually won.

There was a short intermission that followed and Raven led the way to a pair of seats far enough away from the crowd of heroes to not be overheard but close enough for them to feel like they were part of the group.

"There is something wrong Koriand'r?"

Jostled back into reality from her wandering thoughts as she stared out over the open green area of Titan Island that they were using for their tournament, Kori found dark blue eyes patiently examining her for injuries so that the empath might heal them.

Laying a warm hand over the pale fingers that brushed gently over a scratch on her neck, healing it in a wash of cool blue energy, Koriand'r reassured Raven of her good health with a quiet "Thank you Raven."

Sighing as she cradled her friend's hand in her lap, the golden orange alien revealed her misgivings about her eventual battle with Richard now that Donna had lost against him.

"Richard just knows our weaknesses too well. I will face him with everything I've got if we both win our next match, but is it selfish of me to hope that he loses before he and I step onto the field?"

Shaking her head even though the princess was once again lost in her thoughts, Raven squeezed the hand that clasped hers.

"And now that Donna and Victor, the two who held the best chances of defeating Richard, are out of the running you fear it is inevitable that you fight him. And you do not believe you would fight as a warrior, with honor instead of anger."

As usual, Raven hit the mail on the head and all the Tamaranean could do was turn her head away to hide the shame she felt about this childish fear.

"It is too soon Raven."

The soft hurt in her voice whispered along Raven's senses and incited such rage that Raven was momentarily afraid she would kill Richard right then and there. The only thing keeping her from doing just that was the long golden orange fingers interlaced with her own.

"You will not have to face him right now if you do not wish to Koriand'r. I am Richard's opponent in two matches and I can defeat him."

Lime peel green eyes widened at Raven's offer of a reprieve even as a hopeful spark entered the rich shade of color.

"That reminds me of a question I wished to ask you Raven. Usually you decline participation in these activities, so why did you enter this one?"

Raven was silent for a moment, just staring at their interlocked fingers, before she answered.

"I entered in case you needed me. I know from our talks that you still feel uncomfortable around Richard and this contest naturally puts you in close contact with your opponent. I do not want you to feel conflicted during our _T-Connection_, so, if you wish me to, I will ensure that you and Richard will not meet in this way."

Blinking rapidly to gold back the tears that fought to fall, Koriand'r ignored Raven's startled look and completely forgot that their teammates were within view, if not hearing range, as she pulled her friend into a snug hug. Reveling in the feeling of silky skin against her own smooth cheek and the curiously thrilling weight of Raven in her lap and pressed to her chest, Kori marveled once again over the kindness of her dear friend.

"You are too good to me Raven. Thank you. If it is no trouble I would rather face you than Richard."

Trying desperately not to melt into the Tamaranean's innocently intimate embrace, Raven nodded, eyes fluttering shut as the friction between their cheeks lit an inferno in her stomach.

"Th-then it shall be so."

Koriand'r was fiercely reluctant to let Raven remove herself from the hug but Herald's announcement that the matches would begin again in two minutes made her loosen her hold. Was it her imagination or did Raven's palms linger on her forearms a moment too long before turning away and rejoining the three remaining contestants? Rising from her seat Kori shook her head to clear her thoughts as she followed the shorter woman. She extended her hand to grasp Wally's, her next challenger, when she reached the others.

"Good luck Star. May the best warrior win."

Smile turning a little bit wicked, Koriand'r put enough pressure into her handshake to make his eyes widen before she let go.

"Thank you Flash, I will."

Both of them laughed as they approached their respective corners of the field to await the signal to begin. The moment Herald's trumpet sounded, Wally was off, determined to end this quickly.

Knowing she would not be able to track him with her eyes Koriand'r cleared her mind and focused on her other senses – most importantly her instincts, honed to the deadliest point possible by some of the greatest masters of battle. The warrior princess launched herself into the air just in time to avoid the first punch thrown then quickly retaliated with numerous starbolts randomly thrust towards the ground and the red blur that was the speedster dodging her attack. Hoping to catch him off-guard with the energy blasts, Koriand'r stayed in the air where it would be more difficult for him to reach her.

This battle was certainly one of the longest ones and the betting numbers were getting a little high, but when Robin nonchalantly put a bid that Wally would win into the pot, Raven took it upon herself to even the odds by betting upon Koriand'r pinning Wally within the next three minutes – two to track him down, thirty seconds to exchange blows, twenty ticks of the second hand to grab onto the fast hero, and the countdown. The other participants in this bet were a little slackjawed at her prediction of the outcome but it was probably the fifty dollar bill she handed to Donna that had the others so nonplussed.

Three minutes came and ended with the Flash half-way imbedded in the turf and Starfire holding him there while sitting on his lower back. Apparently Wally overshot a charge and Kori caught him in his slip-up. The Titans who bet against the Tamaranean grumbled as they saw their allowances being divided up with the largest amount going to Raven who called the time. Pocketing the large lump sum in a small pouch that hung from her hip, Raven rose to congratulate both fighters.

"Hey! Why don't I get a hug? I'm the one who lost and needs his ego consoled."

Wally's pout was comical and Koriand'r watched in amusement as Raven merely rolled her eyes, pushed on his open arms to turn him around and shoved the boy into Donna.

"You just aren't as cute Wally."

Victor choked on his laughter as the rest of the crowd howled over Raven's sly diss.

"Woo Girl! Fleet-feet she got you good!"

The ribbing and laughter continued for a bit longer before Robin and Speedy stepped into the ring and their match began. Leaning over to speak lowly but loudly enough so Raven could hear her over the cheers, Koriand'r thanked her for the compliment.

"I cannot remember the last time I received such a sincere comment about my appearance. Your words, even in jest towards Wally, meant a lot to me."

Raven was shocked. She had always witnessed or heard from others how beautiful and/or gorgeous her friend is so the fact that Koriand'r was thanking her for such a simple compliment confused her.

"You are welcome Koriand'r but I do not understand. You get appreciative comments on your beauty from others all the time. Why is mine so special?"

Sighing and pulling away from Raven, Koriand'r rested her chin in the palm of her hand as she leaned her elbow against her knee contemplating the slight wrinkle between Raven's brows and her growing frown.

"But they are rarely…innocent, I guess."

"Innocent?"

Those lime peel green eyes she adored so much dulled to an olive shade and a weight seemed to settle on the golden orange skinned woman's frame, aging her even as she still looked like the youthful twenty-year old she is.

"There are only so many times I can hear remarks of beauty aimed at my chest or my legs or my waist or some other body part before I begin to notice that I am nothing but those parts in the leering eyes of others. Your simple statement, therefore, means more because there was no intent to flatter me or yourself behind it. So thank you Raven, for considering all of me 'cute'."

Before the empath could reply in any capacity, a loud yell went up from the others in the bleachers – Robin had successfully pinned Speedy. Now it was time for Raven to keep her promise. Laying a gentle hand on Kori's shoulder as she rose from her seat, Raven lightened the somber mood with a crack about archers and their lasting power.

Kori threw her head back and just laughed.

Satisfied that she had succeeded in lessening her friend's worry, the dark Titan turned and approached the young man standing in the middle of the field. Robin eyed her suspiciously from behind his mask, still trying to figure out the best way to incapacitate the half-demon and why Raven had even entered the game this year.

"So tell me Raven, is there a reason for your participation this time or did you just want to see first-hand how good I am?"

That boastful smirk both infuriated the empath and amused her darker half. Throwing a grin that was more teeth than a smile his way, Raven replied with a taunt.

"I promised my kids I would show them a real battle victory, not a glorified acrobatics lesson."

The blow was well calculated as Robin's style of subduing his challengers today utilized a lot of his agility and more flashy moves. His smile having been wiped away in the face of Raven's confidence, Robin just settled into his ready stance, silently signaling for Herald to begin the match. The cloaked trumpeter looked over at Raven to inquire if she was ready as well. A nod was his only indicator and, shrugging, Herald brought the mouthpiece to his lips and buzzed a clear 'A' into the sleek metal instrument.

One of Robin's greatest strengths in battle does not come from his athletic abilities but from his skills in observing and understanding his opponent's own strengths and weaknesses. After so many years fighting side-by-side and face-to-face in various situations and circumstances Robin was confident in his strategy to defeat the empath. Raven, who tries to suppress emotions even in a fight, does not react on an instinctual level. Instead, she relies upon her own set of observational skills and tactics learned throughout the years. This would mean that he would have a better chance to catch her off balance if he began the fight quickly so that she would not have time to counter in a logical pattern, putting her on the defensive from the very beginning.

Thus, with a fierce shout, Robin rocketed himself towards the cloaked female and threw a perfectly executed roundhouse kick at her unprotected side, attempting to get her to fly so he could grab her cloak and lock her in for a few moments. But for all his brilliant deductions of the empath's fighting style, Robin had never fought the demon half alone and knew frustratingly little about that particular species of being. So when his initial attack was stopped cold, Robin could only clench his teeth against the jarring his bones took and watch in reluctant awe as Raven neatly pinned him one-handed.

Over on her side of the field Raven, too, assessed and planned the best set of maneuvers to end this game. Discarding the enticing idea of drawing this out to wound Richard's pride in favor of simply taking him by surprise and using those precious few seconds to pin him, Raven waited patiently for Robin's attack. He always moves first.

Loosening her grip over her less civilized side of her psyche was a gamble even with her sire destroyed and banished. But it was one Raven was willing to take to ensure Koriand'r's desire was fulfilled. Any change in her appearance was negligible because she was only focused upon strength and speed; nevertheless the hand that caught Robin's ankle had wicked looking claws in place of her normally short, round nails. Raven's smile as he grimaced at the backlash of force splintering his nerves was equally wicked with twin fangs revealed past her stretched lips.

Placing her other hand on the red vested chest, Raven coolly maneuvered the struggling hero into a pinned position on the grass of the field, all while explaining calmly what was happening.

"Don't struggle too hard Robin or you might dislocate something."

"What the…!"

Lifting an eyebrow over dark eyes the heroine just kept smiling in the face of her leader's incredulity.

"We may have been together as a team for about a decade now but there are still some things you do not and will never know about me. This just happens to be one ability I will share with you."

Leaning over so only her captive could hear her quiet words Raven immobilized the usual champion of these games.

"My instincts are placed under lock and key, Robin, because they would have me completely annihilate my opponent. So be careful when assuming you know my style. Give me enough incentive and _nothing_ will stand in my way."

"10!"

Herald's shout ended the match and both combatants stood to face the wild crowd.

"By the Gods! Did you see that!"

"Shit! She took him out in less than five moves!"

"Woo! You go Rae! Show that bat brat what us girls are made of!"

Many more exclamations and cheers followed and Raven was particularly amused by Jinx's new nickname for Robin. But the one that stood out the most was a near silent 'Thank you' accompanied by a burst of cool relief. Using the five minutes before her last fight, Raven grabbed a cup of ice water and returned to seat next to the one who felt so strongly relieved. Taking a small sip, Raven moistened her dry throat before she decided to tease her companion in order to get more than a small quirk of her lips.

"Do not thank me yet Koriand'r. I intend to be champion this year."

Raven's unexpected banter worked like a charm and Kori could not hold back her amusement.

"I will apologize to you later Raven for crushing your hope after I win our match."

Both females gave feral grins.

The lines have been drawn and the gloves are coming off. The alien warrior felt the wonderful tingle of excitement and anticipation tremble through her skin and rejoiced in the promise of a great battle, having been so long without. The half-demon, too, shivered with that flicker of anticipation in her veins. Here was her chance to connect with Koriand'r on a more primal level; one that will leave both women breathless and aching for more contact.

Raven finished her small break and with one last heated glance at the stretching Tamaranean resumed her position at the other end of the field.

"In a surprising upset, the final match will feature a different bird against our favorite flying star – Raven vs. Starfire! Ladies and gentlemen, start the bidding! Combatants…BEGIN!"

That clear note pierced the air and before it had a chance to fade over the ocean Koriand'r launched herself at Raven, low to the ground, only to roll to the side and lash out with a sweeping kick in an attempt to trip her. Not having expected that feint, Raven barely avoided planting her ass but recovered quickly enough as she forced her fall into a backhand spring that set her up where she could push off the ground and into Kori's left side in a tackle. Slightly startled at Raven's quick recovery, the trained warrior fell back on her instincts and tumbled forward with Raven's momentum, latching onto the arm that tried to wrap around her torso and yanking Raven around so she met the ground first. Swiftly adding her weight to the strength of her hold, Kori smirked at the struggling empath.

"Ready to yield Raven?"

Locking eyes, Raven scoffed then proceeded to bench press the taller female, raising an astounded Koriand'r by her hips until it appeared as if the alien was hovering above Raven's body.

"Not until you do."

With a swift roll Raven had Koriand'r underneath her in a pin similar to the one the Tamaranean had her in a moment ago. Lime peel green eyes blazing with fierce joy, Koriand'r used her own strength to free her arms before pulling Raven into her so that when she flew into the air the empath would not fall.

"You cannot pin me if we are not touching the Earth."

Chuckling at the smug smile pulling Kori's lips upwards, Raven could not help but agree.

"I suppose I could not force you down to the ground with my powers?"

Shaking her head as her mane of cinnabar hued hair fluttered with the breeze, Koriand'r explained that she was feeling too much joy.

"You probably could _try_ Raven, but you would not succeed."

Raven rested her chin on Koriand'r's shoulder as she glanced at the field below.

"Hmm, I have a feeling that our landing would not be as soft if I did."

Kori giggled into the half-demon's neck.

"Shall we call a tie? I can match your strength and have more experience in battle than you, but your demon abilities will make it difficult for me to pin you."

Raven pretended to think about Kori's proposal before giving in to the arousing and mind-numbing sensation of the redhead's lips fluttering against the sensitive skin of her neck.

"A tie it is then."

When the two heroines touched back down they let go of each other and walked towards a confused Herald, announcing their decision to call a draw.

"What! No! My entire month's allowance was on you Raven!"

"Give it up Titans! I won this round!"

As Garfield lamented the emptiness of his wallet, Jinx crowed with delight at the large pot she gambled for and won. The others wore varying degrees of disgruntled or amused looks as they forked over their losses to the gleeful bad luck charm.

-_-_-_-_-_-  
Rolling her eyes at most of the after-match reply debates and highlights, Raven gestured at the youngest trio of spectators, beckoning them to follow her. It was time to eat. Melvin nodded her blond head and picked up her baby brother while calling out for Timmy.

"Time to go Timmy! Raven wants us."

Without looking to see if her younger brother followed, Melvin hefted Teether to a better position in her arms and trotted to her older friend's side. Luckily for all Timmy was feeling hungry so he wasted no time in gathering his blanket and running to join his little brother and older sister.

As the odd quartet walked over to the entrance into the Tower Melvin handed Raven her squirming brother while verbally showcasing her awe over the battles she witnessed.

"…And then, Wham! You pinned him! And then, Wow! It was so cool when Kori got a hold and flipped you! And then…!"

Wryly Raven clapped a hand over her young friend's mouth and mentioned the need for breathing. Melvin blushed a bit but just smiled and held the hand that had removed itself from her jaw.

"But you were so cool!"

Shifting Teether to sit more comfortably against her hip and shoulder, Raven just thanked her before using her powers to bring out a pot and a box of macaroni and cheese. Placing the kid heroes at the island bar so they could watch and talk to her at the same time, Raven filled the pot with water and snapped on the stove to boil it. Next she grabbed two bananas from behind the boxes of multicolored poptarts Argent and Jinx left out from breakfast. Swiftly peeling and breaking the fruit into smaller pieces, Raven placed one bowl in front of Teether and the other between Melvin and Timmy then licked away the leftover mush from her fingers.

"Raven, can we play too next year?"

Wiping off a bit of banana from the youngest boy's cheek, the empath shook her head at his brother's question.

"Not like that Timmy. When you and your brother and sister are teenagers then you may."

Placing a hand on his bright red unruly hair, forestalling any temper outbursts, Raven offered up a better alternative.

"So until then you three will just have to make do with our indoor pool."

Immediately grins and sharp shrieks of giddiness emitted from the young trio.

"Can we go?"

"I want to go!"

"Pool! Pool!"

Raven bit back a smile threatening to emerge as she allowed their simple happiness to calm her post-battle hormones.

"Yes we can…after lunch."

Knowing better than to argue, the little family group just smiled and rambled endlessly to each other about the pool and the fun they were going to have. It was during this time that some of the others came in to grab their own midday meal and overheard the chatter.

"What's got you three so excited hm?"

Melvin's face nearly split with the force of her grin.

"Raven said she'll take us swimming after lunch!"

Teether, with a ring of banana around his mouth, also grinned and waved his food crusted hands around as he chanted the word 'pool' over and over. Donna smiled back.

"That's awesome! And a good idea now that you mention it. After our tussles outside I definitely feel the need to visit the whirlpool."

Glancing over at the cloaked cook, Donna asked her if she could join in the fun.

"I'll help you keep an eye on the kids while they are in the water."

Shrugging as she added the margarine and cheese mix to the softened noodles Raven stirred and served herself and her wards.

"I do not mind Donna. You can join us."

As if Raven's permission conjured them up, the other heroines appeared out of thin air and requested the right to use the pool that afternoon as well. Terra was the one to sum up the activity from all the ruckus.

"Let's make it a girl's only pool day! With the exception that any under the age of thirteen can join in!"

A quick cheer echoed throughout the kitchen as the women dispersed to gather their swimsuits and towels, some taking a quick snack with them while others decided to wait until later to eat. All the commotion caught Wally's attention and he came to investigate.

"Hey ladies! What's happening?"

M'Gann stepped around the red suited hero while answering as she followed Cassie and Kara to the elevator.

"We have decided to have a pool party. You and the other boys over 12 years old may not join us however."

Supergirl looked over her shoulder and threw a stern glare at the fuss Wally tried to kick up about not being able to go swimming with all of them.

"Don't even go there. We have set the rules and we _will_ enforce them Flash. You and the boys will just have to find another way to keep yourselves entertained."

Pouting mightily as the sliding door closed on the occupied elevator, Wally zoomed into the kitchen only to beat a hasty retreat to the threshold as the remaining females stared at him.

"The answer is 'No' Hot-to-Trot. You and the others are not invited."

Tara placed a hand on Jenny's shoulder in support.

"Deal with it."

Dejectedly Wally stalked off to go find something else to do. Maybe the guys will want to have a Mario Cart contest.

"Raven, we're done."

The three siblings held out their bowls and spoons to be taken so they could go and get ready as well. Having just finished her own small meal, Raven reached over the counter top to take the dirty dishes when they were quickly snatched up by two hands slightly larger and much less pale than her own.

"I will wash the dishes Raven. You go and help the children prepare for our party."

Opening her mouth to argue, a swift narrow-eyed look in her direction made Raven lift her hands parallel to her shoulders in mock surrender as she backed away with the children.

"See you at the pool Star!"

Kori waved a soapy hand back at Melvin and nodded.

It wasn't until Raven was pulling out swimwear for the kids that she realized she could be in for another hormonal coaster ride at the pool. With all of the excitement clouding her mind as all the girls and kids planned for the party Raven had overlooked one significant detail – Koriand'r would be there and in even less clothing than when in battle.

'_Oh no. I'm in trouble.'_

This was the only thought left in Raven's consciousness as the kids pushed and pulled her towards the door, urging her to hurry up so they could go play.

'_Big trouble.'_

-_-_-_-_-_-  
**Whew! That's over…for now.**

**Please Read and Review**

**ToaR**


	10. Activities: Swimming

I know. It's been too (much too) long. However, this chapter is finally finished! Rejoice!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this series. I am merely playing.

ON WITH THE STORY

-  
**Activities - Swimming**  
-

Applying sunscreen to a child younger than ten years old is an exercise in overcoming impossible odds. It becomes a battle of epic proportions where the victor inevitably ends up sweaty from exertion and ultimately with half the bottle of lotion on her own face.

Raven had three children to shield from too much sun.

The only help she received from her fellow heroines were encouraging advice, another bottle of spf 50, and malicious laughter.

'_Traitors. Every one of them.'_

Reigning in her impulse to drown the laughing ones, Raven squirted out one last handful of sunscreen and slathered it liberally over Teether's back. The youngest hero giggled at the cold sensation gaining a smile from his caretaker and, unbeknownst to certain members of the pool party, saving lives.

"Pool?"

Nodding, Raven watched Teether toddle to the shallow end of the pool, where the concrete mimics the natural setting of a proper beach, and wade in a few steps before plopping down and splashing to his heart's content. She moved to join him but Donna waved her off as the Amazon kept a close eye on all three siblings from her spot next to Timmy a little further in the pool. Assured that there was a responsible adult watching the children, Raven used the last of the sunscreen to protect her own pale skin from the clear afternoon sun that came in through the high arching roof of windows that acted like an awning over the pool which was otherwise outdoors.

The cool lotion soothed the heat that had already touched her skin as Raven finished rubbing the protectant onto her arms, torso, and legs. Bent over her feet as she sat on a lounge chair, Raven did not notice the presence behind her until the sensation of flesh hotter than her own slid along her spine, slicked with sunscreen. To her eternal embarrassment, Raven let out a shriek that echoed in the air around the pool even after she clapped a hand over her mouth to stopper the uncharacteristic sound that had escaped her mouth. All activity ceased as eyes turned to a blushing empath.

Jinx smirked as soon as she realized what had happened. "Don't freak out, Raven. It's just Star coping a feel."

Raven heard a chuckle near her ear before Koriand'r responded to the statement. "My hands were just a little cold due to the sunscreen, Jinx."

Amused laughs met the white lie and the women returned to their former activities. Raven had yet to acknowledge Koriand'r even as the hot hands continued their circular motions around her back. And thus, their interaction continued silently until Koriand'r removed her hands.

"There, the sun will not harm your skin."

Keeping her eyes resolutely forwards and fixated on the actions of her kids, Raven only whispered a thank you to the alien as she leaned back to survey her handiwork.

Koriand'r sat for a moment longer gazing at the back of the silent woman hoping for a conversation. She wanted to continue the wonderful banter from the contest earlier and hear Raven say things that made her heart flutter with delight. But time spread out with no further response from her friend and so Kori left for the deeper waters of the pool with a slightly frustrated twist to her emotions. Hopefully getting into mischief with her younger teammates would loosen the tightness in her chest.

Raven felt the darkening of Koriand'r's spirit as the woman left her side but did nothing to brighten it. Even though she desperately wished to. She just could not trust herself to be around the princess while here without her cloak and Koriand'r in a bikini. So Raven made sure her gaze would not follow the svelte female walking away from her by preoccupying herself with unfolding her beach towel and spreading it across the chaise lounge so she could lie out and enjoy the warm day.

Her ploy almost worked. Almost.

"Star! Wait! Your top isn't knotted tight enough. Let me help before you dive in and make us more jealous than we already are of your body."

Torture.

It was torturous to keep her neck muscles locked in place and not snap her head towards the commotion. _'I will not look. I will not.'_

Raven's resolution started strong but quickly began to waver as further conversation reached her exposed ears.

"Thank you Tara. I am not used to wearing anything when frolicking in water."

A splash punctuated Koriand'r's statement, indicating the disaster was averted and she had entered the pool. Karen's voice, however, rose above the noise as she called out to the earthshaker from her spot on the lip of the concrete edge, legs dangling in the water.

"I certainly wouldn't mind seeing that 'frolicking.' Heck, I'd even join in. No tan lines that way."

Laughter met the dark skinned woman's comment with many heroines concurring and wondering out-loud what it felt like to skinny dip. Chatter escalated once again and became a din of white noise that Raven could ignore easily enough.

'_Safe,'_ she thought.

She was wrong.

Raven found no respite from her desire to visually devour the Tamaranean because that beautiful creature kept calling out to her. Phrases such as "Come join us, Raven", "The water feels wonderfully cool on the skin, Raven", and "Want to play water-tag, Raven" became harder and harder to ignore until Raven finally had to respond mentally in order to stay put and not give in to the temptation that was Koriand'r in a bikini.

'_I'd rather join you Koriand'r. With you, that is.'_

'_I know something else that will feel cool on your skin, Koriand'r. My sheets on your naked flesh.'_

'_I want to play tag alright. Just not in view of the others.'_

In desperation Raven resorted to keeping her dark sunglasses off so that she would be reminded every time she went to open her eyes and respond to not look!

So focused on her internal retorts to Koriand'r's invitations was the half-demon that she did not hear Jinx approach.

"Hello! Kitty Kat to Raven! Come in Pretty Birdy! Teether is devouring his towel and I'm not gonna be the one to clean up the mess."

Reluctantly Raven snatched her glasses off the nearby table, put them on, and opened her eyes. There stood an amused Jinx holding up a white beach towel with Teether dangling from the end by his teeth. With a heavy sigh, Raven reached out and began to tickle the young boy's sides causing him to wiggle as giggles escaped. All too soon Teether couldn't hold it in under Raven's ruthless onslaught and let go of the towel with a loud laugh and fell into the waiting arms of his tormentor.

"You just ate Teether. At least wait until after you get tired of swimming to eat again."

The toddler's smile was cute, disarming, and not completely lost on Raven's stoic demeanor. Pulling him in for a light hug, Raven reclined back into her chair and wholly ignored the cat-eyed female still standing next to her.

Jinx pouted. "What, no thanks for saving you both from a monster stomachache later tonight?" The bad-luck charm mockingly crossed her arms over her glaringly pink bikini top and huffed. "I see. No love for the hex-witch. Well, next time I'm gonna hand him sugar! See how you like that Miss Unthankful-and-Silent Rude Person."

Flicking her eyes over the top of the dark lenses perched on her narrow nose, Raven lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, you're still here."

Smiling widely at finally being acknowledged, Jinx threw her arms wide and loudly proclaimed, "She spoke!" Then here smile grew positively wicked as she tilted her head and asked, "Isn't that great, Kori?"

The curses never passed her lips but that does not mean they didn't fly like mental daggers from her mind at the chortling witch as Raven stiffened her back when the voice of the one she had been avoiding once more came from behind her vision.

"It is reassuring that my friend has not lost her voice. I was worried since she has not spoken to me in over an hour, even though I have called to her many times."

There was venom lacing the bite to the Tamaranean's last statement and Raven flinched. Unused to this particular tone being aimed at her by this particular person, Raven found herself floundering for a witty retort or excuse. But even she had to admit that there frankly was not excuse. She had hurt Koriand'r with her silence and short brush-offs. Knowing there was no other choice, the dark haired woman slid off her sunglasses, handing them to Teether, and rose to her feet to face the woman standing at her back.

'_Oh Goddess.'_

Whether she was imploring her absent deity or the glorious one that stood before her, Raven will never truly know. There was so much vibrant skin exposed to the warmth of the sun that for a brief, heart-stopping, moment Raven believed Koriand'r to have given in to Karen's earlier teasing and now 'frolicked' naked in the cool waters. It was a curious mixture of weak-kneed relief and libido-crushing disappointment that swept through and relaxed Raven's tense posture when she realized that Koriand'r was not actually nude.

The Tamaranean had chosen a suit closer to her hair in color which complemented her skin tone rather than emphasize it by contrasting as white, purple, and green usually do. The suit itself, however, was tastefully full of fabric which was partially unexpected from the woman who fought in a very revealing outfit. The bottom half fully hid her from view and contoured to the curve of her backside leaving the imagination to do its job as smooth legs drew the eye in a downward fashion. Similarly the muscular stomach that rose above the bikini bottom allowed gazers to marvel at the warrior's core power before marveling further at the perkiness cradled tightly by two large squares of nylon and polyester. Then the deceptively thin strings that held the top in place against the pull of gravity aligned one's vision up with delicate collarbones framing a strong neck atop which a head was held high.

Of all her beautiful features, Koriand'r's face arrested all who beheld it and Raven was no exception. Strength set her jaw and temples while kindness and sensuality traced the edges of her eyes and generous lips. Raven secretly wished to kiss every stunning inch of Koriand'r's body but she would start with her eyes. Vibrant was the only word that could be used to describe the force of her spirit residing in those lime peel green eyes. But at the moment their vibrancy was dulled.

'_And it is my fault.'_

No longer dazzled by the loveliness of her teammate, Raven kept her eyes on Koriand'r's as she apologized. "I'm sorry Koriand'r," Raven said meekly.

The Tamaranean stepped closer to the empath and lowered her voice so she would not be overheard by Jinx who rocked back and forth on her heels at the other end of the chair playing a version of peek-a-boo with Teether that closely resembled whack-a-mole by the way the young boy was trying to catch the thief when she popped up in his face.

"I will accept your apology only if you provide your reason for ignoring me in the first place," Kori firmly whispered.

Raven balked at the thought of revealing anything that pointed towards her growing feelings for the princess and mentally scrambled for a plausible truth that would spare her any scrutiny a little while longer.

"I, I feel embarrassed, I suppose."

"About?"

The Tamaranean was not going to let this go. Desperately wishing her and Koriand'r were away from prying ears and eyes, Raven was, nonetheless, just as desperately happy they were not alone. Anything she said from now on would transform into a gigantic neon sign pointing to her painfully obvious affections and the taller woman was going to piece together all of the signals. This scared Raven shitless; still she had no choice.

Distracting herself for a moment, Raven turned her head and spoke to Jinx, requesting that she take Teether back to the shallow end to play. If she was forced to have this conversation she was not going to do it within hearing range of the ex-villainess. She would only be taunted mercilessly for her crush.

Jinx pouted but agreed and hefted a laughing toddler under her arm. "You owe me juicy details, Pretty Birdy." The twinkle in that fuchsia eye that didn't wink at her indicated the teasing had already begun.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Raven watched the mischievous thief bounce off to the water with her captive. Her precious moment of reprieve was short-lived however.

"Raven, I cannot understand your feelings unless you speak of them. We are not all empaths. Help me understand."

Raven's desire to omit certain truths died in the face of such earnest sincerity. Coupled with a small joking smile that told the half-demon she was on her way to being forgiven for her behavior, Raven tried to explain.

"I can't look at you, here, like this, Koriand'r, and speak to you without forgetting what I wish to say."

Raven struggled to not fall back on her usual habit of saying everything yet reveal nothing but could see by the way Koriand'r's face fell that she failed. Miserably.

Abruptly, Kori tore Raven's towel off of the seat and wrapped it around her body, hiding the entirety of her body, shoulders to ankles, from view.

"Is this better? Will you speak to me now that you can no longer see me?" Koriand'r's voice shook with anger over what she perceived as an insult, but the emotions that reached the empath tasked like sadness - salty and blue.

Biting her lip, Raven reacted to the disguised accusation with a pair of hands gently tugging the edge of the towel gripped tightly in Koriand'r's fists. The Tamaranean was not ready to relinquish her anger even as she reluctantly allowed the empath to peel open the towel and take in her appearance. There was no leering, no wolf-whistle, and no smirk crossing her mouth as Raven's eyes drifted over her skin. The mystic's cobalt eyes darkened for sure, but her regard was not intrusive or possessive; it was merely appreciative, as if she were taking in a work of art that intrigued and delighted her.

It was not unnoticed by Koriand'r that Raven's gaze lingered in certain places, or that she swallowed thickly a few times, or that her ear tips were flushed a light pink. But the princess did not mind at all. A curl of flame settled in her chest and cheeks when she felt Raven's thumb begin to circle the palms of her hands through the cotton towel that barred them from contact. Kori did not believe it was her imagination either, when Raven finally spoke and her voice seemed to have grown huskier than usual.

"You could be covered from head to toe in the most drab, shapeless fabric and I would still feel tongue-tied in your company every once in a while, Koriand'r."

"Then why?" Koriand'r sighed.

Raven dearly wished to kiss her and catch that sigh on her lips when she felt the breath given land upon her face. This led her to open up a bit more to compensate for the fact that she could not allow herself to take action in such a way. "Because you cause restlessness in my soul."

Brow furrowing in confusion and leftover frustration, Kori shook her head. "I do not understand. Have I done something to offend you that makes it difficult to be around me?"

Eyes returning to those sad eyes from their slight detour to the woman's lips, Raven shook her head trying to drive home her true point without concentrating on what she was saying. "You have never offended me Koriand'r. You just…you, you _excite_ my emotions because you are dear to me. That is the reason for my avoidance today."

Lime peel green eyes once clouded with confusion now cleared with sudden understanding and widened with a hint of shock over what, exactly, Raven was unconsciously implying with her words. Kori watched a darker hue of pinkness infuse Raven's skin from throat to ear tips as the empath's own words were reexamined by her own ears. Blue eyes started to flicker back and forth as if looking for an escape from the implications of those words.

"That, that might not be the right word…" Raven's voice trailed off into a whimper as Koriand'r stepped fully into Raven's space and engulfed the startled empath in a hug. One arm wrapped around her shoulders while the other pulled her hips even closer in contact; and in Koriand'r's hands the towel was still held so it almost seemed as if the Tamaranean was mimicking how Raven used her cape to shield others when transporting them. Raven may not have been among the tallest of the heroines but she was never so thankful for being almost six feet in length. If she was any shorter her face would not have made it past the very tall alien's breasts. As it was, she could feel them resting just above her own, rising when she and Kori simultaneously inhaled and falling on the exhale. Koriand'r's soft voice in her ear hitched her inhale causing a minor collision with devastating consequences on her heart-rate.

"No Raven, it is an acceptable word. Thank you for explaining." Koriand'r hummed in happiness as she cradled the smaller woman against her, blissful from both the revelation and the shared warmth created by their bodies being so close and enclosed in a beach towel. That curl of flame from earlier greedily fed off of her current situation and steadily became stronger, branching out to her extremities on a wave of tingles.

The scent of sunscreen, hot concrete and lingering chlorine from the water was enhanced by the towel-seal that blocked the ocean bay breeze and Raven felt like she was drowning in everything that represented summer. It wasn't until a new fragrance joined the others that Raven began to panic again. She didn't know what the new addition meant but it was causing an odd reaction in her mouth. Swallowing down the saliva that had accumulated so quickly, Raven repeatedly cleared her throat before she tried to talk.

"I *ahem* I really should check on the children, Koriand'r." Her movement to back away from the embrace and escape the confusing smell was sabotaged by the pair of arms that tightened around her back and held her in place. "Donna has everything under control. I wish you to stay here with me for just a bit longer, Raven."

Admitting momentary defeat, Raven tried to relax and overlook her physical reactions. She rested her own hands back upon the taller female's hips and tilted her head forward to lean her temple upon the golden-orange neck in front of her, just breathing. It took the empath exactly three deep breaths to pinpoint the origin of the highly distracting aroma. She almost reared back in utmost astonishment but her discovery numbed her proper brain functions and only heightened her instinctual desires.

'_Koriand'r is aroused.'_

Somewhere in the very depths of her mind, Raven felt something stir at the realization that this beautiful and valiant female desired her as a mate. But the empath brushed aside the strange feeling for a more immediate reaction, becoming uncomfortably hot and breaking out in a sweat in various places, many of them unmentionable. Without even realizing it, Raven angled her head down a fraction more and continued taking in the air saturated with the scent of summer and Koriand'r's desire.

Raven's efforts to remain discrete in her actions were not successful at all. Kori, one of the most spiritually innocent of the heroines who approached life with the joy of a child but with the heart of a sexually confidant grown woman, knew exactly what was transpiring and welcomed it. In fact, a niggling in her subconscious alerted her to the reality that this was the position she had been maneuvering Raven into all along this afternoon. She wanted to let Raven know of her budding lust for the empath but suspected that the only way to safely deliver this information was to allow Raven to stumble upon it.

It was simultaneously refreshing and exciting to be flirting and feeling genuine desire for another once more. She had been happy in her relationship with Robin but security had replaced the excitement and there were times when Kori just could not speak with Robin about her worldly worries or frustrations because he was so busy and had his own struggles to overcome. He was equally as unwilling to share with her as she was with him and that, she decided, led to their inevitable separation. When they broke up her feelings had become entangled and murky, as if someone had thrust a stick into the waters of her heart and stirred the mud at the bottom, and the Tamaranean fought to regain her usual emotional clarity. Her struggle consumed her and preoccupied her attention for the majority of the _T-Connection_ which worried her friends and, in turn, stressed the situation even more.

Yet, throughout her ordeal there was a pair of gentle hands and patient ears that belonged to a blue-eyed half-demon waiting in the shadows for a signal to hold her together when she broke down or listen openly to her inner conflicts and offer sage advice. Raven's companionship acted like a caress to her fractured heart, healing and clearing away the mud so that Kori could connect with her emotions honestly once more and move on in her life. And she has decided she wants to move on with the woman currently in her arms. Raven did not quite know it yet but while Kori may let her leave the embrace, she will never let her truly leave that place in Kori's heart that was ever growing. Being with Raven excited her senses in ways both familiar and unique; she was not going to let that go.

"Koriand'r," Raven finally had enough breath to say, "You must let me go now."

Releasing a sigh that ruffled the top layer of Raven's hair, Koriand'r let her arms drift from contact with the empath's skin and retreated a step. "If you insist."

Still trying to overcome the arousal that infused the air around her even as the taller woman stepped away, Raven was not thinking clearly when she let slip the directions of her thoughts on the separation. "Were I to 'insist' on anything it would be in the privacy of a bedroom."

Lime peel green eyes widened a fraction before narrowing with a pleased smile, yet Kori did not say anything. She knew the words would catch up to Raven's brain momentarily. The sudden horrified gasp and darting eyes set in a face paler than normal was her cue to invite Raven to believe that her offer would be welcomed.

"Then I look forward to our next sleepover, Raven."

Deliberately placing the fingers of her left hand on Raven's shoulder as she passed the flabbergasted woman on her way back to the water, Koriand'r let gravity naturally draw her touch down Raven's arm. The minute shiver and goosebumps that followed in the wake of her path reignited Kori's libido, further proving to the Tamaranean that her heart was well on the mend and ready to unite with another - specifically this wonderful teammate of hers.

The alien's joy was a helium balloon that bobbed and floated in a bright pink color tinged with giddiness, and Raven allowed the emotion to center her own on less lascivious thoughts about her exchange with Koriand'r. Her heart was still dancing a little wildly moments later when she realized she had not moved, just standing behind her chair and eyes ever on Koriand'r. Shaking her head twice to snap herself out of the trance she had fallen into when those fingers had lingered on her skin, Raven bent to pick up her fallen towel and flared it out to drape over the lounge chair again. She was determined to enjoy the clear afternoon and settle her riotous emotions. Sitting back down, Raven stubbornly kept her eyes averted from the darker waters of the deep end. A few more deep breathes of the ocean air cleared her nostrils of…of…of certain things.

'_Breath. Center. Focus.'_

Control was returning and Raven relaxed enough to take off her sunglasses, close her eyes, and doze in the sunlight. She allowed her mind to review the exchange she had with Koriand'r and came to the conclusion that nothing overtly intimate took place.

'_There is no need to panic. Koriand'r was just being affectionate as she has always been. Stay calm. She was just teasing.'_

Not able to resist, Raven peeked through one opened eye over towards the crowd of heroines playing diving games, being as subtle as she could turning her head so that no one would notice her actions. Seconds later, her eye widened fractionally before slamming shut as if to give the illusion that she never opened it and saw Koriand'r grin then wink at her from where she hovered in the air judging the technique of the divers. Raven felt her ears catch fire and remain hot even after that lime peel green gaze finally left her skin.

'_Only teasing, only teasing!…right?'_

By the time the kids had had enough of swimming and were ready to eat again, Raven's face still had not cooled down. When asked by a curious Melvin why she was so red Raven blamed the sunscreen for not protecting her enough.

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I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I apologize for it taking so long but I started three times and none of the drafts were good enough.

Please Read and Review

ToaR


	11. Activities: Food Break

I know how much we dislike filler but you'll have to deal with it until I have time to start the next big chapter. So just enjoy another Jinx POV.

Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own this series…alas.

ON WITH THE STORY

-  
**Activities - Food Break  
**-

The argument blazed hotly between the factions. Neither side was giving in and as the clock hands relentlessly moved around the face to chime the supper hour it seemed that the battle was nowhere near ending.

Jinx had no intention of starting the fight when ideas for restaurants were being discussed, but when Garfield and Wally ignored everyone and started dialing the local pizzeria to order the exact same pies and appetizers from the last two evenings she snapped. With a flick of her wrist a jolt of pink cosmic energy zigzagged through the air to wrap around the phone held against Gar's ear short circuiting it.

The green Titan squealed then rounded on Jinx. "Whoa! Dude! Why'd you do that? If you wanted Hawaiian instead of Canadian you should just say it, not break it!"

Garfield huffed as he whipped out his communicator and started dialing again when Wally snatched the T-Comm out of his hand with a warning. "BB, I don't think Jenny is unhappy about the lack of pineapple topping."

The speedster pointed at the cross-looking hex witch before backing out of the range of fire.

"No. Pizza."

A hot pink glare accompanied the demand, freaking Garfield out enough he morphed into a chicken and rand around squawking until Victor snatched him up by the neck. "Don't lose your head Beast Boy. We'll just go out for something different like Mexican!"

Thus started the war.

Every Titan had a food preference and restaurant they could get their fix and each one shouted out their reasons as to why their choice was the better one. Soon enough new battle lines were drawn as individuals conceded positions and combined efforts under one banner. It finally came down to two camps - Indian versus Mexican.

Jinx was determined to win and loudly proclaimed that the only outcome of the stand-off was for South of the Border to give into The Guru. "Don't give me sass about the salsas, Victor! You want shrivel your ball hot, you pick The Guru. They know spice. No namby-pamby chili can beat the trifecta of Cheyenne, curry, and ginger powder!"

Rolling his organic eye, Victor returned fire. "At least the chow at SOTB doesn't look like it belongs in a pig-trough! Your food is ugly and can't beat out the Ultimate Nacho Supreme in awesomeness! There is no way, no way, your flat breads and soupy meals can make a fun meal! And ever heard of the ghost chili? Yeah, it beats your best any day when it comes to hotness!"

Raven rolled _her _eyes as the arguments and insults exploded from there, getting fiercer by the minute and including more people. Frankly, she didn't care were they went as long as she got something to eat soon. _'Only a few more days before normality returns. I can't wait.' _

Pursing her lips to avoid letting her sharp tongue loose on the overgrown teenagers, Raven folded her arms across her chest and turned her head to look out the bay windows. The bright sunny day had given way to a beautifully calm evening and she looked forward to getting out of the Tower for supper.

'_Maybe I will go for a walk after we eat. Maybe I'll invite Koriand'r…'_

Mentally coaching herself to make the most of the chaos surrounding Titans Tower for the remainder of the week and make sure the kids have fun while she got closer to Koriand'r, Raven did not notice the absence of noise until the silence sliced through her inner monologue. The hair on the back of her neck prickled in warning. Raven almost did not turn back to her teammates but knew that whatever awaited her was inevitable. So she blinked hard and with a breath faced her fate.

Every eye was on her.

Slightly freaked out by the intense regard, Raven, nevertheless, refused to show it. "What?" she deadpanned with her arms still crossed in front of her chest for protection.

"Where do _you_ want to eat, Rae? You haven't said." Victor's smile was broad. Too broad. With too many teeth showing.

"Yeah, Pretty Birdy. Which place would you choose?" Jinx certainly beat Victor in the teeth category with her fangy smile. It was the eyelash flutter that clued Raven into what was going on.

"That doesn't work on me Jinx. Stop it. It's creepy."

The pink haired witch threw a pout at the dark Titan before grinning again. Except this time her grin was one that hinted at victory. "You caught us. We decided that you are our tie-breaker, Raven. So choose - savory Indian at The Guru, or bland Mexican at SOTB."

Indigo eyes flitted from face to face mentally tallying the numbers on each side of the invisible divide. _'Damn.'_ Raven rolled her eyes in exasperation when the numbers showed even behind each leader.

"Can't you just flip a coin?"

Both leaders shook their heads and pointed a finger at the other. "She/He cheats."

Glaring at each other now, Jinx and Cyborg almost reentered a verbal minefield over the accusation, but Koriand'r piped up to head off the argument.

"It is just much easier if _you_ choose, Raven. There are very few outside factors that are here to influence your decision." Point at the evergreen sofa the redhead indicated the children who were watching the debate as if it was their favorite cartoon show. "The children will go wherever you end up choosing." Kori continued.

Accepting the inevitable, Raven just nodded. With that signal the factions began to bombard her with every reason imaginable to choose on restaurant or the other.

'_Ugh! Headache!'_ "Enough!" Raven demanded, glaring at all those who were talking. "You get one chance to convince me. One sentence, one side each, one person." Pointing at the tall black teen, Raven effectively indicated he was to go first.

Putting his sharp mind and analytical nature to work, Victor ran through a series of scenarios to find the best possible outcome. It only took the older teen sixty seconds to answer, smug and absolutely positive he had won Raven's vote.

"It's buy one, get one free, enchilada night and you love their enchiladas in verde sauce."

One of Raven's eyebrows rose in interest. She did love the enchiladas served at SOTB, especially when she got to drizzle the white queso all over her plate. When Victor saw Raven lick her bottom lip he knew he had won. There was nothing Jinx could say or do that would entice the empath away from her favorite meal. Smirking triumphantly, Victor threw his opponent a huge grin and wiggling eyebrows, chanting in his head, _'Nah, nah, nah naaa nah.'_ He would get around to verbally taunting Jinx when Raven officially chose his restaurant.

Jinx narrowed her eyes at the tall teen but her grin never wavered. Victor would be choking on chutney soon enough. When Raven nodded at her, signaling she was to make her statement, Jinx turned instead and strolled over to Koriand'r.

"Quick question for you, Star. What was the name of that dish you wanted to try at The Guru tonight? The really hot red one?"

Confusion flitted across Koriand'r's brow as lime peel green eyes flitted between her 'warleader' and her best friend, but it was cleared up with a smile and a suggestion. "If you are trying to entice Raven to choose The Guru in the same manner as Victor then the best dish for you to pick would be the chicken vindaloo with kheer pudding for dessert."

Jinx shook her head, "Trying the same tactic isn't as much fun Star. I was just wondering what _you_ were looking forward to having at The Guru tonight."

Shrugging, Kori replied. "The one I wish to try is the lamb rogan josh. Raven was actually the one who suggested it to me as she has already sampled it. She informed me that it is hot, spicy and quite savory. I asked her if it was her favorite dish and she said it was not; she liked hotter."

Slyly Jinx bobbed her head and slid her eyes towards Raven. "No doubt. The _hotter_ the better."

Snapping back to the alien, Jinx thanked her then walked over to the waiting tie-breaker. Leaning in so her words would not carry, Jinx gave the empath her statement in a low intimate tone. "Spicy, hot, savory, and _on fire_." Flippantly she added, "with pudding" while winking.

Every word was mesmerizing to Raven's ear and her inner mind went rampant visualizing all the things she loved that were 'spicy, hot savory and on fire'. _'She is a devious one,' _Raven concluded of Jinx's character as the thought of sharing her dessert with Koriand'r flitted through her imagination. However, no matter how stimulating the imagery Raven refused to let a blush color her pale cheeks or kiss the tips of her ears to give away the directions of her thoughts. In fact, Raven did not move at all.

Victor took her inaction as a sign of success and bent down so his voice would only reach Jinx's ear before he began to tease his pink-haired adversary. "No reaction Pinkie, unlike my hum of approval. I guess it's Mexican tonight. BooYah!"

Hissing through her sneer at the confident attitude, Jinx harshly whispered a retort, "It's not over 'til she names a place, Tin Man." Taking a deep breath and calming down a little, Jinx continued, "Besides my silence trumps your little hum."

A pair of mismatched eyes stared at her incredulously. "Say what? No way! That doesn't make any sense!"

Turning away from Cyborg, Jinx just pointed at their chosen tie-breaker. "It does when the person in question is her."

Before Cyborg could wrap his mind around that vague response Raven cleared her throat, twice, before announcing her choice. "Indian."

Victor's jaw unhinged. "WHAT!?"

There were other cries of outrage mingled among the whoops of triumph but Raven ignored them all. Holding out her hands in the direction of the green couch, Raven encouraged movement out of the Tower. "Let's go. I'm hungry." Gleefully Teether and Melvin latched onto their friend's hands while Timmy led the way through the garage door, enthusiastically telling everyone to hurry.

Placing a single finger under Cyborg's jaw, Jinx pushed it up and shut with a giggle. "Better luck next time, Tin Man." Leaving the dumbfounded teen behind to stew in his defeat, Jinx quickly caught up with Koriand'r pulling her away from the procession to the vehicles. "Your dinner is on me tonight Kori."

Tilting her head in confusion the Tamaranean politely asked why Jinx decided to foot the bill. Hooking her arm around the taller female's neck and drawing her down to whisper in her ear, Jinx playfully winked in Raven's direction when the empath noticed Koriand'r was no longer beside her and turned to find her. "Because I made a wish and you granted it, Star."

Shaking her head, Koriand'r backed out of Jinx's hold and replied, "I do not understand but thank you anyway."

A dry monotone interrupted the ex-thief's next statement. "No one understands her most of the time Koriand'r. When she starts speaking nonsense just do what I do. Ignore her."

Jinx mock growled out a belated "Hey!" in defense as Raven proceeded to follow her own advice, taking only a moment to gently tug at the Tamaranean's elbow in the direction of the waiting children. Kori lifted a hand to wave farewell to Jinx but otherwise focused all of her attention on her companion.

"Raven, may I share a bite of your pudding tonight? I have never had it before and you always make a very satisfied noise upon the first spoonful."

Raven's voice was fading as the little group left the ex-thief behind. "Of course, Koriand'r. I think you will like the taste of cream after such a spicy dish."

The cat-eyed Titan wasn't offended as she trailed at the tail end of the exiting superheroes. She won the battle _and_ confirmed a certain rumor about why Raven refused to answer the boyfriend/girlfriend question. As a bonus, Jinx also managed to figure out why Raven said the color lime peel green was her favorite. But now it was time to eat and plot other campaigns. _'Next is to see if Kori returns Raven's affections. Then I can truly start placing bets!'_

* * *

Another one bites the dust!  
I'm so happy to have gotten another chapter out and I hope you are too!

Please Read and Review

ToaR


	12. The Party pt1

I realize it has been a while, but life does funny things to time. Hopefully this chapter and the ones to come will make up for some of that lost time.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters - *jeer*Bummer

ON WITH THE STORY

-  
**Party (pt. 1)**  
-

If there was one thing superheroes knew how to do best it was to create opportunities to party. If the Titans were truly honest with themselves, the annual T-Connection was a sanctioned excuse to party together for a week. The fact that this year the T-Connection fell a few days shy of Roy Harper's birthday did not deter the explosion of party excitement.

The living room in the Tower was transformed into a massive carnival of party games, wells of alcohol, food platters, and karaoke. The usual birthday cake and presents tradition took place earlier that evening so that the kids could join in before they were trotted off to bed, leaving the older set of heroes to celebrate until sunrise.

Jinx was particularly excited for the late-night party because she had a plan; a plan that involved Kori, Raven, and plenty of alcohol. _'I __will__ get to the bottom of this little love-fest between those two if it's the last thing I do,'_ Jinx cackled to herself as she gathered her best liquors for the games she had in mind tonight. Setting up an end of the food laden table with glasses and chairs, Jinx artfully arranged the colorful array of bottles in the middle of the wooden surface, waiting to be opened and poured out. _'Now, I just need to get my players on the stage.'_ Jinx ran through a mental checklist of bodies she wanted occupying the six seats she had set up. _'Hm. Ok. Me, Kori, Rae…Donna and Karen are most likely to join in and…hm, no, too young. Too goodie two shoes. Too immature. Hm…perfect!'_ "Tara!"

The blonde Russian turned at the sound of her name and saw her wildly grinning teammate approach. _'This means trouble,'_ Tara thought as she smirked. "Hey Jinx, wassup?" Slinging an arm around Tara's shoulders, Jinx steered them both to the awaiting party set-up. "Here's the deal. You know and I know, heck, the whole team knows that Raven is head over tail feathers for our Star attraction." Tara nodded. There was nothing more obvious than Raven's crush on Kori. "Well, can we say the same is true for Kori?" Blonde eyebrows scrunched together as the geomancer thought about the question. There was no doubt Koriand'r was greatly affectionate with the half-demon, but the same was true with everyone on the team. Just the other day Kori had pressed a kiss to Tara's own cheek for fixing the knot on the top half of her bikini. "Um…" Tara began but couldn't finish. "Exactly!" Jinx pointed at the blonde excitedly as she made her point. "None of us know! Therefore, I have a plan."

Sweeping out her arm to indicate the bottles on the table's end, Jinx laid out the scheme to get Kori to confess whether or not she loves Raven. "And I'm talkin' handcuff her to the bed, eat her out, and bring her breakfast the next morning kind of love." Tara laughed and quickly agreed to gather the other girls while Jinx handled Raven and Kori. "But what shall I tell Donna and Karen?" Looking deep into the sky blue eyes of her friend, Jinx imparted words of wisdom with a solemn face. "That this is a matter of world peace. That the apocalypse can be thwarted with their help. That I will split the money I win from the betting pool with you three." By the end of her spiel Jinx couldn't keep the grin from erasing the serious mask she had donned at the beginning. Tara eyed her friend through narrowed eyelids for a moment, ensuring that Jinx was serious about the money, before breaking out a gleaming smile. "You've obviously been hitting the alcohol already, but I'm totally in."

Jinx whooped and high-fived Tara before the blonde went off to round up her two victims leaving the bad-luck charm to contemplate her own approach to Raven and Koriand'r. _'Raven's out getting the munchkins ready for bed so she's not even here right now. And even if she was,' _Jinx admitted to herself, _'she probably wouldn't join in no matter what I say.'_ Pushing off from where she had been leaning against the table, giving Wally the stink-eye when he motioned towards the full bottles waiting to be opened. "No," Jinx firmly squashed the speedster's hopes of getting a hold of that bottle of Maker's Mark whiskey. He knew better than to try and sneak the bottle from the group. The hex witch would definitely notice and make him regret it.

Satisfied that Wally had gotten the message and returned to watching the unholy karaoke spectacle that was Garfield, Jinx walked over to the only option left to her until Raven returned downstairs. _'If Kori can't convince Raven to join in on the fun then no one can.'_ "Hey Kori! What's up?" There was a little bit of frosting stuck to the alien's lips when she turned away from the latest perversion of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and acknowledged Jinx's greeting. "Hello Jinx. Just enjoying a slice of leftover birthday cake as I watch our friends attempt to locate the posterior of a paper donkey so that they may pin its tail on." A swipe of a pink tongue removed the white frosting at the end of her sentence.

Jinx laughed as she saw Kori suddenly turn and throw her empty plate at the blindfolded Cassie. The blonde Amazon girl tried to duck the oncoming projectile but got a face full of cake when Kara threw her half-eaten slice at exactly the right moment. Apparently this version of the game had more obstacles to overcome when trying to get to the ass's ass and pin it. Jinx took a moment to cheer on Cassie's revenge. The young Wonder Girl had completely forgone pinning the tail on the donkey, chasing Kara around and threatening to truss her up as the next 'donkey' for the game. Laughing, Jinx extended an invite to Kori to join in some shot games with her and some of the other girls. "And we can maybe entice Raven to play a round or two if you are there," the pink haired Titan slyly suggested as the duo sedately walked over to the table. "I do not know if Raven will. I asked her once if she wanted to have a drink with me and she declined stating that it not only took a lot of liquor to actually affect her system but when she does imbibe enough it messes with her control."

Jinx pouted as her hopes to involve the empath using Kori were pretty much destroyed until Kori laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "However, that was before she destroyed her father and freed herself. I believe if we ask again, Raven might just say yes." And the Cheshire grin was back. "So, you'll play too, Kori?" Jinx asked to confirm what the princess had been alluding to. "Of course," Kori exclaimed, mock affronted. "No Tamaranean has ever backed down from celebration games." Kori winked as she said the next part. "And as a warrior I must uphold the honor of drinking the rest of you under the table."

Jinx cartwheeled forward a spin before landing next to the table facing her friend. "Then, welcome to the Jinx Happy Hour!" Pulling out a chair, Jinx motioned Kori to sit as she caught sight of Tara leading Donna and Karen over. Jinx twisted the cap off the first bottle of liquor to touch her hand, a caramel-smooth bourbon, before dealing out a pack of cards and some dice. "Let the games begin."

* * *

By the time Raven had finished putting the kids to bed and rejoined her teammates downstairs in the living room, now a party floor, the festivities had been underway for quite a while and got its first round of toasts into the systems of the partiers. _'Sigh. It's going to be a long night,'_ Raven admitted to herself. But it was the third to last day of the T-Connection so a night of indulgence would not be remiss.

Promising herself she would take the majority of tomorrow to meditate, Raven decided she would let loose a little bit tonight. She was in a safe place and did not have to worry about the kids or her friends getting home safely. _'Perhaps I will do more than just observe the fun tonight.'_ Raven looked around at the various groupings and the activities taking place.

Karaoke, no matter how popular with the superhero and villain communities, was not an option. She did not sing. Period. The last time Garfield and Victor attempted to goad her into participating she had swallowed them with her soul-self. Later she concluded her reaction to their constant badgering was a little over the top. To say they were traumatized when she finally spat them back out is an understatement. However, the boys were surprisingly resilient and continued to call out for her to join them every time a party had a karaoke machine anyway. Like tonight.

"Hey Rae! Come on over and belt one out! We're giving prizes away to category winners and you could win 'Most Authentic' if you manage to nail Annie Lennox in _Sweet Dreams_!" Victor yelled out over the microphone when he spotted her gliding through the crowd. "Clearly you have guzzled too much motor oil, Victor," Raven monotoned loud enough to be heard over the party noise and background music. "Is that a 'yes'?" Victor smiled a shit-eating grin knowing his friend's answer but enjoying the banter. With an exaggerated show of teeth parodying a smile Raven answered, "No," and moved on.

In the opposite corner from the karaoke stage a group of teenager Titans were playing…tag, it seemed, with the goal of pinning a fake tail on the ones not 'it'. Cassie dodged Rose's attack and waved Raven over to play. The empath watched for a second then shook her head and waved back in farewell. The teens were having too much fun getting up close and personal with a thumbtack. That just wasn't Raven's idea of fun.

As she moved around the various crowds and their games, Raven got closer and closer to the food table. Although there was still a massive amount of food waiting to be devoured or saved for tomorrow, the Titans had made a sizeable dent. Plucking a grape and popping it into her mouth as she passed by the entrees, Raven almost choked on the morsel when her eyes fell to the ladies huddled around the end of the table.

"Damn it, J! There is no way you won that hand! I have a full house!" Donna exclaimed. Her eyes narrowed on the gloating winner. "If you weren't already half-naked I'd swear you had aces up your sleeve." The Cheshire grin Jinx sported grew wider as Donna huffed then shimmied out of her tight black pants. As per the rules of the game, one item of clothing was to be thrown into the pile and a shot taken every loss. A dark mocha colored hand patted the Amazon on the back. "Cheer up, girl. At least you still have your dignity left." That hand quickly reached a little further to the middle of Donna's back and tweaked her bra. Snapping the elastic, Karen laughed loudly at the indignant glare Donna threw her. "You are drunk, Little B," Donna stated, unable to suppress her amusement anymore. "We are all certainly on our way," Tara said as she nudged Donna's shot glass closer to her. "Drink up Wondy Girl." Grimacing, Donna picked up the little glass and shot back its contents. "Ugh. You have horrible taste in liquor Jinx." Donna stuck out her tongue in mock disgust. Jinx scowled back at the dig. "Says the one who buys box wine at the gas station."

The teasing and game continued from there, the heroines completely unaware that they had a guest until Kori lost the next hand played. The Tamaranean, never one to wear much to begin with, had already lost everything but her thong. "Woo! Take it off Kori!" Tara saluted the standing Tamaranean with a full shot before downing it. The other girls also hooted and cat-called as Kori sensuously ran her hands through her hair and posed. "You girls ready for a striptease?" Kori winked at her laughing friends then mimed grabbing the hem of a shirt and pulling it over head in one smooth motion. Her invisible pants came off next, hips shimmying to indicate they are very tight. Kicking away her 'pants' Kori moved on to her 'bra', taking the time to caress her breasts along the way.

Raven was mesmerized. Her skin flushed violently as her heart doubled its pace and her breathing became fast and shallow. Wide indigo eyes dilated with the force of her arousal and the space between her thighs became sticky with more than sweat. _'I haven't even had a drop yet and already I feel intoxicated,'_ Raven absentmindedly noted, fisting her hands in her cloak to stop them from trembling. Her thoughts screeched to a halt, however, the moment Kori hooked her thumbs in the thin waistband of her very real thong. The red satin fabric barely made it past the top of a neat triangle of cinnabar curls when a cloak of deepest blue sailed through the air and snaked around Kori's body like a toga. For a moment everyone was stunned at the unexpected interruption. Then the alcohol took effect.

"Boooo!" hollered Karen. "Interference! I call Penalty Game!" Tara agreed while Donna rolled the six-sided die that was saved just for this purpose. The white block with black dots tumbled from the brunette's down-turned hand clacking against the wood before settling on the 'six' side. Incoherent jabber erupted from the women still sitting as they argued the finer points to Penalty Six. Kori took this moment to turn to Raven who had closed the gap between her and the gaming group after unconsciously using her powers to wrap Kori up in her cloak.

"Raven!" The Tamaranean's smile was unabashedly bright and Raven quickly found herself enfolded in a tight embrace, flattening her petite breasts against Koriand'r's far more substantial ones and forcing her head into Kori's neck. "You have arrived! Please join us in our games. They are most fun!" The empath lifted her arms and lightly returned the hug, inhaling Koriand'r's natural scent from the warm skin of her neck. A slightly bitter fume of liquor underscored the air as well reminding Raven of their audience.

Pulling away from Kori's arms, Raven tied a stray edge of her cloak more snugly against the golden orange skin of the alien. "I'll take your word for it, Koriand'r. But I do not think I should join in. Alcohol and control do not usually mix well for me." Kori's pout almost broke Raven's resolve but she stayed strong and slid her fingers along the hem of her cloak which reached only down to the Tamaranean's knees. "Perhaps… you should consider bowing out too. I'm sure we could find something equally as fun to do." Raven could not help but reach under her cloak to touch the warm bare skin of Kori's thighs as she continued to entice the taller woman to other activities. "I do not relish the idea of our teammates ogling you naked." A shudder rippled over Kori's body as goosebumps popped up around Raven's gently shifting fingers. Forcing her eyes to not close at the sensation, Kori replied. "What did you have in mind Raven?" The hand that now palmed the outside of her left thigh stopped its circular exploration much to Kori's discontent. Then she felt the light pressure of nails replace the heat of Raven's palm as fingernails raked over her sensitive flesh. Kori's lips parted in a silent gasp at how aroused the simple movement made her. It was just like those moments at the poolside yesterday. Raven's voice augmented the tingles as she leaned closer to whisper an answer. "Well, the kids are asleep in your room…"

"Now, now, Pretty Birdie. We can't just let you take away one of our players before the game is over." Jinx relished the chance to interrupt and felt nothing but glee when Raven snapped her head to glare at her. "By the way, you just joined in on the fun."

Raven had since removed her fingers from where they were trailing along Kori's skin under her cloak. But that did not mean her head was fully engaged in the conversation yet. "What?" Wagging her pointer finger at the empath, Jinx scolded her. "You heard me. Rules state that any interference with the game is to be penalized." Crossing her arms Jinx smugly continued. "Since you interrupted Kori's striptease you have to join in our games." Koriand'r added her own cheer to the hollers from the ladies still around the table. Raven glowered at all of them. "No."

Predictably, Raven refused to play but Jinx had an ace up her sleeve just for this occasion. Shrugging nonchalantly, Jinx accepted Raven's answer without fuss. "Fine." Swinging around, Jinx turned her attention to Koriand'r. "In that case, Kori, you not only have to strip, you also have to go ask Gar for a dance - naked."

"WHAT!?" Raven was wholly unamused as she stared at Jinx. The pink haired woman gave a shrug in Raven's direction. "Those are the rules. We all agreed on them before we began. Since you won't take the punishment, Kori has to play the penalty game in your stead." Kori laid a hand on Raven's shoulder to keep the empath from lunging at Jinx when it seemed she might. "Do not worry. I am not ashamed of being seen dancing with Garfield." The sentence was said so seriously that Raven could not help but smile and give in. Encircling the taller woman's wrist with her hand and tugging in the direction of the table, Raven guided both of them to a pair of chairs and sat down. "His dance moves _are_ embarrassing sometimes," Raven intoned as Tara slid an unused shot glass her way.

Donna waved her hand towards the huddled bottles. "Pick your poison." Although Raven had very little experience with alcohol she did know top shelf labels when she saw them. There was obviously no chance of leaving the table completely sober tonight. _'May as well go for irony then,'_ Raven thought as she pointed to the amber colored cinnamon whiskey labeled with a devil dancing in a flame. Donna poured the drink and left the bottle next to the empath. No one else had wanted the fiery whiskey so, if Raven liked it, she could have all of it.

Bringing the full glass level with her chin, Raven paused and shifted her eyes to look at Jinx. "I take this penalty and join in for the rest of the night but stripping is no longer part of any game. Deal?" Jinx raised her own glass of bourbon, mimicked by the other three women, and said, "Deal." The half-demon smoothly tilted the drink down her throat and swallowed. The whiskey was tasty and left a pleasant tingle on her tongue. Reaching out, Raven poured another shot and gathered the incoming cards listening to Karen as she explained the rules of the next game.

* * *

It wasn't until after the fifth loss by Raven that Jinx began to suspect something unusual was going on. Simply put, Raven was not slurring her words like the rest of the players were and Jinx could not detect a hint of sway in her limbs that would denote alcohol-affected motor skills either. Hazy pink eyes watched as the half-demon smoothly poured another glass and downed it seconds later, disbelieving and suspecting foul play.

'_How can she still be sober!? _The question puzzled Jinx for at least another hand before Koriand'r slurred something to Donna and sparked her brain.

"You are holding up well for a human, Donna." The dark haired Amazon squinted her eyes at her friend, trying to focus the orange blur into a face. "Ha! This, this is nothing! Amazons are p-party animals!" All too soon the two warriors engaged in an unintelligible conversation, no doubt comparing notes on how to party correctly. But Jinx had heard and understood enough of the beginning to come to her conclusion about Raven, and jerked so hard in her seat she almost tipped her chair over.

'_Demon! That's it!'_ The bad luck heroine did not realize she had spoken out loud until she became aware of five pairs of eyes staring at her. Grinning, Jinx resettled in her chair and folded her cards, deciding to finish her thoughts. "That's why Raven doesn't seem to be as affected as us by the alcohol," Jinx smugly concluded. Now Raven was the center of attention.

A small smile hid behind the fan of cards in her hand as Raven simply ignored the silent questions everyone wanted to ask. It wasn't long before one of the girls broke. "Raven," Tara began, "does the alcohol not affect you?" Placing down a card into the discard pile and picking up a new one, Raven shrugged. "I am less susceptible to the affects you are all familiar with, but that does not mean there is no affect." Tara laughed. "That's vague enough to work for me!" Heads bobbed up and down around the table as the blond rolled the die and announced the next round bonus hand.

Donna pursed her lips as the cards in her hand kept dancing and wouldn't hold still so she could read them. "But what do you mean? Are your cards being unruly too?" Had anyone at the table been even remotely sober, that sentence would have busted a gut or two. As it was, Karen stared at Donna in surprise with wide brown eyes. "Your cards can dance!? Mine are in a merry-go round at the fair, and they won't get off." The other women nodded. Apparently their deck of cards was full of delinquents.

Raven chuckled as she answered Donna's question before it was forgotten. "It means my inhibitions are lowered. I'm allowing my emotions to surface a lot more than usual, and I'm more likely to do something stupid while playing a game like this. But my cards are not dancing or flashing people with panties." Raven threw Jinx an amused eyebrow. "Drinking does nothing to my perception or speech." Heads nodded like bobbles. They understood.

"So if we get rid of the cards and just played truth or dare with dice, you would play?" Jinx was so gleeful her master plan was working that when Raven nodded she threw the rebelling cards in the air and snatched the dice to shake them in her hand. The time was ripe and she would get Kori to confess to loving Raven! Then she would win the entire betting pool and use the money to fund her new obsession with stripped socks. _'Heh heh heh! I will own every striped sock ever made!'_

A more rational part of her brain realized that some of her focus was slipping through alcohol-induced cracks, but at the moment Jinx did not care. Raven admitted to being affected and Koriand'r never backed down from challenges. She will be able to get these two to kiss tonight or she would eat her stripped socks!

Before she could let the dotted cubes roll, however, Kori pushed her chair back and stood from her seat. "How about a quick break before the next game. I would like to use the restroom." Not waiting for Jinx to express her frantic horror as her master plan unraveled before her eyes, Kori wobbled a little as she turned and began to walk out towards the private quarters. The Tamaranean knew better than to fly. She had already tried and ended up a little too intimate with the building's infrastructure for comfort. The other girls also rose to make the best use of their break, leaving behind a pouting Jinx to gaze forlornly at the dice lying in her limp hand and an uninhibited Raven to plot her own plans for the night.

"Koriand'r, wait."

Awkwardly turning her head, leaning forward so she wouldn't lose her balance, Kori looked back at her table partner. "Yes, Raven?" Grinning a bit at the adorably sexy sight of Koriand'r throwing a heavy-eyed look over her shoulder, Raven offered the use of her room. "My room is closer and you have stashed quite a bit of your bathroom products in there already. Go ahead and use it." Tilting her head a little, Raven continued innocently. "Just be careful of some of the things on my dresser. I might have left my mirror out earlier."

Returning Raven's grin, Kori nodded wildly. "I'll be careful of your stuff, Raven. Promise." Raven's grin turned a little more wicked. "I have no doubt. See you soon." The alien swung back around and continued onward while somewhere in the empath's subconscious, a 'Raven' rejoiced in the smooth execution of her plot to maneuver Koriand'r closer to the only portal open for use - a mirror.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**I hope you are all as excited as I am about this next chapter. **

**Till then,**

**ToaR**


	13. Entering Nevermore pt1

Hello all. Happy Halloween! I hope you all enjoy this arc of the story. Things are starting to move forward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters. Boo.

-**  
**ON WITH THE STORY

**Entering Nevermore**  
-

"Ugh. My head…" Koriand'r moaned as the throbbing pain between her ears demanded her attention. Lifting her hand, Kori laid her palm against her forehead as if staunching the flow of pain to her brain. It did not work very well, but by focusing on her present situation Kori was able to breathe through the pain and slowly recall why she was feeling like crap.

The heavy taste of cloying sweetness gone a little sour wrapped around her tongue and was the first reminder of her previous activities before she awoke.

'_That's right. We were partying to celebrate Roy's birthday.'_ Snippets of cake, karaoke, presents, and shots (lots of shots), flashed through her mind in a jumble of bright colors and noises.

Still feeling dizzy Kori had not yet opened her eyes to see where she had ended up, but from the chill in the air and the unevenness of the ground she was laying on, she suspected she must be outside. An odd thought flitted through her consciousness a second before she felt safe enough to take a look around, _'Why can't I hear the water?'_

A gasp escaped her lips when, instead of the dark green vegetation and dark blue heavens that would surround Titan Island in the evening, Kori opened her eyes to a black and red sky with only a pathway of rock beneath her. After a moment of gawking on her back, Kori gingerly sat up, becoming aware of bruises that she surmised had come from falling into this place. Swiveling her gaze Kori marveled at the desolation all around her. She had never seen such barrenness outside of her nightmares and began to fear that she would have to find her way home without any assistance.

"But first, where am I?" the alien mumbled under her breath.

"Nevermore."

Shrieking in fright, Koriand'r launched herself off the ground and into the air. Except, up quickly became down and Kori experienced the ever-unpleasant feeling of falling without being able to stop herself. Her voice echoed hauntingly among the floating boulders as she yelled out in terrified confusion. After a few seconds of attempting to right herself and only achieving the effects of a rollercoaster ride, the only thought that solidified itself in Kori's mind was, _'Get to the rock.'_

Even if the rock was currently above her head it symbolized stability and at this moment that is exactly what Koriand'r desired. However, the next problem approached quickly. Kori realized a little too late that she didn't know how to stop and would end up slamming to an abrupt halt on the rock itself. Throwing her arms up around her head to brace herself as best she could for impact, Koriand'r waited for the inevitable burst of pain that would wrack her body when she hit ground once again. And waited…and, _'Wait.'_ Arms she had never thought of as particularly strong on a physical level had wrapped themselves around her waist from behind and cradled the falling alien close as Kori was calmly led to the rock's broad surface and gently set down.

"I did not mean to frighten you Koriand'r, but please refrain from flying in here." A slight adjustment of a pair of studious-looking glasses accompanied the apology. "The rules of physics are a little…skewed in this place."

Deliberately blinking and rubbing her hand through the hair on her head to search for hidden injuries from her initial fall, Koriand'r finally came to the conclusion that it was, indeed, Raven who stood before her. But, not quite the Raven she knew.

"Raven…?" Reaching out to finger the edge of the dark yellow-dyed cloak and the rims of the never-before-seen glasses, Kori did not notice the blush that accompanied dilated indigo eyes behind the lenses she touched.

"Please Koriand'r…" Raven's voice trailed off wavering slightly but the female made no move to stop further exploration. Nonetheless, Kori understood her plea and stepped away from her friend.

"Are you truly Raven?" A nod was her only answer.

Dissatisfied, Kori crossed her arms over her chest and skeptically eyed the doppelganger in front of her. "Raven does not wear glasses," came the accusation.

'Raven' smiled. "I have always worn glasses."

Narrowing her eyes Kori replied, "Then you are not Raven."

"I am Raven," came the retort.

The mounting frustration in her blood did nothing to ease the headache still pounding behind her eyes. Uncrossing her arms and turning to pace a little, Kori's hand came up to her temple again to try and sooth the pain. "Then we are at a stalemate because I do not believe you are my Raven while you say that you are."

The Tamaranean knew that she should be more worried about finding a way out of this place, wherever it was, instead of arguing with this being that claimed to be her Raven. She _knew_ this was not her Raven, even though the female greatly reminded her of Raven in moments when the empath was being thoughtful or meditative. It still bothered her. She wished Raven was truly here then she would not feel so lost.

So preoccupied was she that Kori once again did not notice how close the other 'Raven' got to her until cold hands cupped her shoulders from behind to stop her pacing. "You are in pain, Koriand'r. Let me help."

Without waiting for acknowledgment or argument 'Raven' placed glowing blue hands on either side of Kori's skull and took away the pain. There was no replicating this feeling; Koriand'r had been healed too many times before by Raven to not recognize this sensation.

"Thank you Raven." Kori quietly sighed in relief. Facing the glasses-wearing Raven once more, The Tamaranean found a broadly smiling woman. "It took you only one-fourth of the time it took Victor and Garfield to believe me. Thank _you_ Koriand'r."

Startled at the mention of her teammates Kori did not know what to say other than, "Where _are_ we Raven?"

Spreading her hands in a wide sweeping arc to encompass all around them, Raven repeated, "Nevermore."

Shaking her head, Kori shrugged. "I still do not understand. What does the deceased poet Poe have to do with where we are?"

Gesturing for Koriand'r to follow, 'Raven' pointed towards a stone archway in the distance. "Let us get you closer to the exit as I try to explain."

Nodding and falling into step with her guide, Kori tried to ignore the way the suspended boulders in the air around them flew from their places to create a path towards the archway the empath had indicated. She had enough questions as it was and 'Raven' promised to enlighten her.

* * *

"Since you brought him up, what do you remember of our discussions of Poe's literature?"

Closing her eyes to better recall her memories of their conversations, Kori recited to 'Raven' what she remembered.

"I remember speaking about motifs and his use of imagery. How these literary devices enhance the story by creating a deeper meaning beyond the obvious."

A smile flitted across 'Raven's' lips as she nodded and hummed in agreement. "What else?"

Drawing her lips inwards and pursing them together for concentration, Kori continued. "The way his life experiences and relationships shaped his stories, especially his more romantic works." Opening her eyes, Kori saw 'Raven' rolling her wrist in a forward motion to indicate the Tamaranean should continue while intoning, "And…?"

Raining an eyebrow, Kori rolled her eyes slightly. Her Raven always did this whenever the empath thought the obvious had not been said yet. "_And_! How Poe revealed the human psyche through manifestations of objects or creatures such as a beating heart, a chiming clock, a statue bust, and …a…Raven…"

Koriand'r's gait had slowed to a complete stop by the end of her statement, eyes widened and mouth opened slightly in shock. 'Raven's' smile was as smug as she had ever seen cross the half-demon's lips. "Never let the others insult your intelligence again Koriand'r. It took both Victor and Garfield meeting three of us at the same time to finally piece together where they were."

Running a hand through her mane of hair, Kori took a few moments to absorb what she had learned. "I am in your mind…" Kori took in her surroundings with new eyes trying to find the woman she thought she knew well in the otherworldly landscape. "And you are part of Raven."

Lime peel green eyes returned to the yellow cloaked Raven still smiling at her from a few paces away. Closing the gap with two strides then moving beyond 'Raven', Kori decided the best way to process everything was to keep moving. The duo stayed silent all throughout the last leg of their journey; one because she was slightly overwhelmed about her situation, and the other because she was waiting for her 'guest' to ask the questions she knew the other wished to give voice to.

When the pair reached the stone arch they stopped in tandem one meter before crossing the threshold. "The mirror." 'Raven's' eyes flicked behind her glasses to take in Koriand'r's countenance. "I remember the mirror from our sleepover earlier this week." Although Kori's eyes were steadfastly fixed on the gateway, she was aware of her companion's gaze.

Keeping her eyes on the warrior's profile, 'Raven' filled in part of the answer left unsaid. "It is a tool to control my demonic heritage. It manifests my psyche so that I may insulate them from stimulus."

The taller female nodded. It made sense to her why Raven would use such a device. "I came into your room to take a short break from the party," Kori continued softly. "And was headed to the bathroom to wash up and splash water on my face. Some of the girls had started a food fight with the leftover cake while playing pin-the-tale-on-the-donkey. On the way I bumped into the dresser." Now Koriand'r faced 'Raven' no longer having to struggle to remember what happened for her to end up at her current location. "The mirror fell from its perch and I reached down to catch it only to find _it_ caught _me_."

Leaning back to rest on the pillar of the arch nearest her, Kori asked a question that was now nagging her. "One thing I do not understand is, why did the mirror pull me in now? I have seen Raven handle it many times and have, myself, moved it around the dresser before."

'Raven' had settled upon a conveniently located protrusion of the pathway and now regarded Koriand'r with an expression akin to wonder. "Surely it is no secret that 'I' like you, Koriand'r."

A small burst of happiness flourished in her cheeks as Kori's heart jumped to a faster rhythm upon actually hearing Raven speak of her affection, albeit through an unusual source.

A smile grew on 'Raven's' lips, hinting at the possibility that her empathy worked even for facets of her manifested psyche. "Because I like you I unconsciously want to reveal things about myself that I normally would not." Placing a hand over her heart, 'Raven' looked Koriand'r straight in the eye and gave a simple explanation. "The restlessness in my soul took the opportunity tonight to bring you here and I apologize for not having greater control of the situation and preventing this from occurring."

Pure amusement erupted from the Tamaranean in a short laugh. "Considering Jinx conned you into a drinking contest with me, Donna, Tara, Karen, and herself I believe you can be forgiven. Especially since, when I last saw you at the party, you were winning." Pushing upright from her post, Kori openly regarded the hidden part of her friend's mind. "So what shall I call you and the others that are undoubtedly here as well?"

Smiling sheepishly at the mention of the contest she was still participating in currently, 'Raven' adjusted her glasses before replying. "That is why it was 'I' who was available to meet you first instead of one of the others. Drinking my friends under the table does not require a lot of smarts." Slipping off the rock that had served as her seat, 'Raven' swept into a bow and gave Koriand'r her name. "I am pleased to personally meet you Koriand'r. I am called Knowledge. I represent Raven's studiousness, wit, and savvy. However, I also embody her sharp tongue, inability to handle foolishness, and sarcasm. In short, I make her smart and an ass."

Returning the bow with an incline of her head as regally as any of royal blood, Koriand'r murmured that it was a pleasure to meet Knowledge. Then she dropped all formality and scooped the extremely startled Knowledge into a fierce hug. "I believe, however, you have been helping Raven keep me company these last few days, so you are no stranger to me." Kori proceeded to place a kiss where the glasses hooked over the reddened pointed ear near her mouth. "Thank you for your wise words and advise."

Knowledge was so lost in the sensation of being embraced and kissed by her desired one that she was speechless and could only hang semi-limply in Koriand'r's arms. She hummed hoarsely in acknowledgement of Kori's gratitude and intimately sensed the Tamaranean's unabashed pleasure over the situation.

Then the world under them buckled and trembled, throwing the pair off their feet and onto the turbulent rock beneath. Relying upon her instincts, Koriand'r held tighter to Knowledge and took the brunt of the fall trying to shield her friend. They landed in a heap, Koriand'r on her back blinking away the return of her headache and Knowledge buried flush against her protector. Kori was immensely surprised when a particularly violent string of curses flew from Knowledge's mouth and the manifestation tore herself from Kori's arms, rolling as far away from her as she could without falling over the edge of the pathway.

"Damnit! Calm down! I'm not touching her!" Knowledge fiercely muttered as the shaking stopped to leave an eerie silence that had not been there before. Lime peel green eyes scanned around, looking for either the cause of the quake or the being that seemed to be holding its breath while watching them.

Getting up from her sprawled out position, Knowledge cautiously approached Koriand'r and held out a hand to help her up. "Are you alright?" Wrapping her fingers around the ones held out for support, Kori smoothly lifted herself so she was standing again. "I was only startled. What was that, Knowledge?"

Tugging on their joined hands, Knowledge led Koriand'r back to the stone archway. "That is the reason I should never drink and why you must get to the exit as quickly as possible." Stopping just before she crossed the shadow of the arch, Knowledge turned to the still perplexed Tamaranean and gave hurried instructions. "Remember, follow this path until you reach a mountain with a cave on its face. That cave is the exit. As you approach, a pale blue shimmer will wash over the entrance. Step through and you will depart this plane." Ruefully, Knowledge lowered her head. "That, however, is the easy part. Past each stone arch on the path is a realm for each manifestation. I have no doubt that they all know you are here now. And it is assured they will want to meet you."

Squeezing Koriand'r's hand hard to convey her apprehension about letting the female leave by herself, Knowledge continued with a warning. "Please Koriand'r, whatever you do, do not…_excite_ us too much." A fiery blush bloomed under Knowledge's glasses as Kori's lips quirked upwards at the corners. "For all that we are separate from each other, we are still one being. What happened just now was an awakening of something dangerous. She will fight to get to you Koriand'r," Knowledge's cheeks lost their blush and, instead, drained of all color leaving behind a sallow pallor that made her seem haunted. "The more stimulation we receive the looser her bonds become. And the moment she is freed, she will find you."

Leaning closer and placing her free hand upon the ghostly face before her, Koriand'r sought to reassure her friend. "I promise I will find the exit as fast as possible. But keep in mind I am a warrior and I can defend myself if need be. Even from Raven."

Sliding her fingers from Koriand'r's, Knowledge offered up a small smile as she faded from sight. "I know Koriand'r. Good luck."

* * *

**I'm really excited for this next arc to begin. Kori gets to meet most (if not all) of Raven's counterparts. Fun times are ahead.  
Take a moment to Review! And let me know who you think will be the next one Kori meets.  
ToaR**


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